#he started with fire jutsu while fighting Itachi

[eka160]

Post Itachi Reveal (SasukexFemale OC)

This is the next arc. As with the other arcs, there are gaps in the outline but it's enough to follow the story.

Bone Graveyard

It's Chiasa who Sasuke talks to in the bone graveyard about the same things he spoke about in Canon. (Except for the discussion about implanting Itachi's eyes; Tobi will bring that up later.) She does talk to him about not trusting Tobi and the Akatsuki and Sasuke agrees.

He asks Chiasa if she can divine if there's any truth to what Tobi told him. She's able to divine the people who can do that; some are dead, others are in Konoha, and then there's Kisame. That's why when they meet up with Tobi and Zetsu, Sasuke says that he wants to speak to Kisame. (Tobi asks him why, Sasuke says it's because he can help verify what he was told). Tobi tells him that he's on his way to the land of lightning to capture the 8 tails. “Is that so?” Sasuke says. But Tobi encourages this-much to Chiasa's suspicion. He says that it will be easier to have a discussion with Kisame because the Konoha villagers would just outright attack Sasuke and leave no room for discussion.

So Sasuke and Chiasa set out. Meanwhile Tobi and Zetsu discuss what they talked about in Canon with the addition of wondering why Sasuke is so sure that Kisame can verify the truth of what he was told. They deduce that it must be because of Chiasa. They express their alertness over the possible hindrance that Chiasa could be.

Via the hologram jutsu, Tobi reveals to Kisame who he is and tells him that Sasuke and his companion are on the way. He expects Kisame to not undo all of what he has stirred to life in Sasuke. Kisame says he won't but internally he thinks of Itachi and decides that he’ll just be truthful with Sasuke.

Killer Bee Fight

Kisame fights Killer Bee and appears to lose. Sasuke and Chiasa come across him ‘dying’. (Sasuke pushed Killer Bee back with a massive fire jutsu. While the flame barrier is easy for Killer Bee to evade, he watches silently, analyzing the new situation.) Sasuke tells Kisame that he was told the truth behind his brother. He asks Kisame if this truth is real. Kisame’s response is not about the coup-since Itachi never told him-but about some words Itachi once said that seem to make sense now.

Whatever Kisame says (I haven’t thought up the exact words yet) greatly affects Sasuke and leaves him certain that it was the truth Tobi told him. Kisame ‘dies’, Sasuke’s anguish is reignited, and Killer Bee starts to question him. He wants to know if Sasuke and Chiasa are allies of Kisame-and thus the Akatsuki.

Chiasa says they aren't but Killer Bee doesn't seem convinced since Sasuke seemed to talk to Kisame rather familiarly. Sasuke-whose emotional wounds have just been reopened again-says that he’s rather irritated right now and if Killer Bee decides to start something, he doesn't think he can hold back. Sasuke egging Killer Bee on because he wants to vent his rage is basically what starts the fight.

The fight against Killer Bee is at first just Sasuke solo (Sasuke just jumps into the battle and initiates the first attack). Unlike in Canon, Sasuke keeps up with Killer Bee’s swordplay. As Killer Bee dons his tailed beast cloak and goes from 1-5, his dangerousness increases. By this point Chiasa joins the fight.

Killer Bee grows the 6th tail. The increase in level is incredible and Sasuke has to save Chiasa from an attack. From this moment she decides to prolong her eye of divination so as to always know where Killer Bee is, even though this power wasn't tailored for brawls. (But she thinks this is the better solution when compared to another one). They watch astounded as Killer Bee takes another level up by growing the 7th tail.

Sasuke tells Chiasa that he’ll lead and she'll back him up. Chiasa has no issue with this. The duo fight against Killer Bee and the fight seems to be over when Sasuke puts Killer Bee under his genjutsu. Both Sasuke and Chiasa are tired. Sasuke dispels his Sharingan and Chiasa expels her divination sight; prolonging its use like she just did was like not blinking for a long period of time. It's in this moment of vulnerability that Killer Bee attacks Sasuke with the lariat, just like he did in Canon. Like in Canon, Sasuke is in need of healing.

Even though her powers aren't primarily about healing, she can still use her fuinjutsu to do it. She seals Sasuke’s injuries, even though-as she internally notes-that’s only the first half. Just like in Canon, Killer Bee explains how the genjutsu was broken. Not having the time to finish healing Sasuke, Chiasa recognizes that it's up to her to finish this fight.

It's then that she decides to use the ‘other solution', which is the Sage Mode. (The reason she didn't use it at first is because-as she explained to Sasuke a long time ago-the Sage Mode seal that her clan had been in the process of developing was incomplete and dangerous if used too long.) With the power of Sage Mode, she fights one-on-one with 7th tail Killer Bee. She manages to get him to use one of his lightning jutsu which she absorbs. Killer Bee thinks the reflected jutsu will be even more powerful in her new mode and that's true. But Chiasa reveals (internally through narrative) that while an obvious benefit of Sage Mode is larger attacks, she had decided to use it another way.

Her Sage Mode specialty deals with time. *This is to differentiate her from Jiraiya’s previous SM battle and also from Naruto too who will acquire it eventually. When she reflects the lightning attack back on Killer Bee, it's revealed what she meant by her specialty being time. This is the introduction of her endless attack (the power to use attacks that will continue for what's pretty much forever once performed. It’s achieved using fuinjutsu and an incredible amount of chakra).

Now that Killer Bee has been dealt with, she quickly hurries back to Sasuke and proceeds with the second part of healing. She unseals all of the body's natural healing. But the fight with Killer Bee is not over. He acknowledges her and Sasuke’s power but confidently states that they will die here. It's then that he transforms into his 8 tailed beast form (he does this because in his fully realized tailed beast form the endless attack will have a minimal effect on him now). He is at his greatest power and speed; his tentacle (which Chiasa is able to dodge in Sage Mode) blasts several mountaintops off, and he blasts a tailed beast bomb at Chiasa. She is able to absorb it but this process inflicts the greatest amount of pain she's ever felt. It's so bad that she can barely find the strength to release it but she does.

Switch to Sasuke’s narrative: Sasuke regains consciousness. He’s horrified to realize that Chiasa has been protecting him all this time and how beat up she is. His rage is uncontrollable. It activates the amaterasu of his MS and the inferno that he creates makes the canon one look like mid sized flames. (It just feels more dangerous as Amaterasu should feel). It’s melting the mountains all around them. Even the water is succumbing to the black flames. It’s a symbolism of Sasuke at his most chaotic anger. He’s fully intending to kill Killer Bee.

But he’s shocked out of his rage by Chiasa as she gets him to realize that he created an uncontrollable inferno. Chiasa looks angry at him. She yells at him saying something like ‘If you don’t stop this now, who knows who else will die!?’ And just like that, he’s snapped back to his senses. He’s never seen Chiasa angry with him. Even when they were strangers, she was merely wary of him. He doesn’t want her to be angry at him. This one feeling unlocks the power to control Amaterasu, just like he’s able to do in canon.

The landscape is now a charred mess. Seeing no body, both Chiasa and Sasuke assume that he was killed in the inferno. Looking gravely at Sasuke she gets him to promise that he wont ever do something so reckless like that again. After he makes that promise, she reveals that she’s dying from her wounds fighting 8 tail Killer Bee. Sasuke is anguished and Chiasa apologizes for this. She says Sasuke can’t take back his promise. And then there’s a heartfelt goodbye that’s cut short as she fades out of consciousness (adrenaline was the only thing keeping her up).

Sasuke is desperate for her to come back to consciousness. He doesn’t know what to do. He feels so powerless. It’s then that Zetsu reveals himself (he was secretly following them and recording the fight as he’s prone to do). Zetsu tells Sasuke that he can save her life. Sasuke quickly snaps at him to tell him how. Zetsu then tells him about the power of the sharingan known as Izanagi.

Sasuke sacrifices his sight in one eye to save her.

Akatsuki Hideout

Chiasa is resting (There’s a sentimental scene previous to this that I haven’t thought up yet that goes over Chiasa’s first awakening) and Sasuke is talking to Tobi. He’s preparing to have Itachi’s eye implanted to replace the eye that is now blind. Tobi asks Sasuke what he’s about to do now that he believes the truth about Itachi. He asks if he plans to kill Danzo and the elders. Sasuke says that not only will he kill the elders but his vengeance will fall on all of Konoha as well. His reasoning is the same as it was in canon.

Something new I’m adding is that they talk about Sasuke using Izanagi for Chiasa. Tobi says that he’s surprised Sasuke would give up his sight-not knowing that he could regain it at the time-for her. She must be very important to him. Sasuke says nothing to this but he does have an uncharacteristic softness to his expression. Tobi-picking up on this-asks him if he thinks Chiasa might be a weakness for him that may get in the way of his plans. To this, Sasuke says something that’s a callback to the “proposal” he made to Chiasa when he asked her to join him. “Where I go, she will go. Her place is by my side, always.” Tobi’s shocked to hear such a blatant confession of Sasuke’s feelings. This irritates him as he finds Chiasa to be a potential hindrance.

As Sasuke’s eyes are closed as he waits to get his brother’s eye implanted, he thinks about Chiasa first and then Itachi. It’s in this darkness (his eyes are closed) that the narrative reveals that Sasuke loves Chiasa. As he thinks back to the memory of her almost dying, a phantom anguish surges through him. His fear of losing her was more overwhelming, more intense than anything he had ever been through. Without her, Sasuke knows his world would collapse into an abyss of loneliness and rage. A world without her was unbearable. He had always been driven to pursue power because of a need for vengeance, but now that drive was fueled by something even more potent: the need to protect Chiasa, to never feel so helpless again.

His thoughts then turn to Itachi. Initially he didn’t want his brother to see the vision of vengeance he planned to create but now Sasuke wants to see the world through his brother’s eyes, to feel the pain he endured. He feels his brother sacrificed everything for a village that didn;t deserve his loyalty. Itachi bore his burden alone and now it’s Sasuke’s to carry. He will avenge Itachi, he’ll make everyone pay.

[insanescriptist]

I've been wondering for awhile, but between you and Umei, how much of the worldbuilding and information on How Things Work in all the stories is stuff you knew already and stuff you spent a lot of time looking up and investigating? Because it's crazy how detailed all these fics are and its amazingly good

Hmm.. it varies by topic? Generally is it common knowledge (ie does it exist in that world/cannon), hobby knowledge, personal knowledge, inferred knowledge (ie if this is this then that implies that), specific knowledge and what’s needed to be known by the character/audience that determines it. There’s stuff that gets left out that we figure out and I’ll give an example of it later.

Some things we can’t get out of researching, like Umei had to research a lot of the historical customs. Who’s allowed to wear what (status symbols), levels of formality, appropriate behavior... That’s specific knowledge. Specific knowledge that has to be known by the characters even. Because you can’t hand wave everything. Plot says otherwise.

Umei probably didn’t have to do much research on the textile manufacturing -the basics are the same world over, get materia, spin thread etc- because she does knit and it’s not hard to find a book on it or more specific all kinds of sites. As an example, yesterday Iz went to Dollar Tree to buy bags to stick some already bought Christmas presents in and found a nice book called The Practical Spinner’s Guide: Silk by Sara Lamb. Which covers what silk is, varieties, properties, blends, how to spin, equipment to spin it on, dying, working with different dyes, weaving, knitting, other applications and how to care for silk in the first hundred pages. At the Dollar Tree. Where everything is a single dollar (and tax). As Umei knits, she might have already had a resource like that handy. That’s hobby knowledge.

As a different example, let’s see... Squalo. Squalo knows sword techniques. But sword techniques are made specific for each blade type. So his adapted longsword using a technique designed for a katana in KHR canon? There’s going to be a difference in effect because the blade length differs, the shape differs and he’s not even holding his sword technically. It’s common sense if you think about it as you can’t use a rapier like a greatsword but Izzy knew about it from personal knowledge. Iz likes her swords. Izzy may have beat various relatives with wooden mock-ups of different types of swords when she likes thirteen or so. To be fair, they had swords too. Personal knowledge.

Then we get to inferred knowledge, which is based on the common knowledge of the world. Like Fire Temple has Monks; Kakuzu kills one of Asuma’s fellow Guardians. So what religion? Well, Hashirama names his techniques off of Buddhist things and the Uchiha have the Shinto covered but Shinto has Priests. So he had to be Buddhist. Buddhism must exist in the Elemental Nations. That one is Easy. Umei may not have figured it out like that but it means that Buddhist philosophy exists.

Compared to ‘Uzumaki sealing affinity’ which has all kinds of doozy implications. This is Izzy’s thought process about it: We get told that it exists, they were great at it, it was their specialty. We don’t get told a single bit of How or Why. We see fuinjutsu used to store things, we see it used to heal, we see it used to mutilate, we see it used to protect, we see it used to contain, we see it break the boundaries of time and space. These examples we see are from Konoha -mostly- who gets their sealing knowledge from the Senju and thus the Uzumaki. So how did the Uzumaki get the knowledge to do all that? Well, clearly they built up on what previous seal masters had done like Minato with Tobirama’s hirashin. So obviously they have an archive, they have a system for that archive to be useful and the work within to be understood,so they have a bloody School! A school that is used from an early age! Not apprentices, but classes full of students learning fuinjutsu. Which still doesn’t tell you How or Why they learned fuinjutsu or continued with it to make it the Uzumaki clan’s signature. Until you realize that they live on an island -limited space- and so have to use ships -limit space- and that based on where they have to be -somewhere between Kiri and Kumo, the villages with the second and arguably third best seal masters (ask me later that is)- they’re geographically at risk of typhoons. How do I know that? Ame. Ame is practically always drowning in rain, so how is all that moisture in the air there? Air currents push clouds against the mountains, squeezing it out before it gets in Kaze no Kuni or even parts of whatever Earth Nation is. So the wind has to blow in from the ocean. If the world of the Elemental Nations is similar enough to ours then the paths the storms travel would be similar -planetary rotation happens at different speeds depending on location from equator- so assuming that the fucked up peninsula that Fire mostly dominates and Tea is on one end up are geographically similar enough for that to be like Florida turned sideways... Anyway, so weather patterns says typhoons exist and Uzu is at risk of them, which is a great reason to have barrier fuinjutsu. Because it’s not just the wind but the water. Uzu’s an island; they can’t risk what farming land they have so the crops and animals need protection. It’s not just the flooding risk but the salt making the land less arable. Food is a concern. Other goods are also a concern. They probably take a lot of mission pay in foodstuffs and things they just don’t have the land to farm. What would they get paid for regularly and in high demand that could potentially require fuinjutsu? Taking care of typhoons. How? Fuinjutsu. What makes the storm a typhoon/hurricane is the amount of energy gathered and moving; not how fast the storm moves but by how much energy it is blowing out. Containment seal to siphon off excess energy -natural chakra exists and heat is energy too- and reduce the Cat 5 to a Cat 1 or 2? Why yes, various island nations that exist south of Fire and Fire would pay much for that, annually. Also an economic reason that Kumo and Kiri later destroy Uzu because with Uzu saving Fire money by preventing massive storm damages, Fire has more money for its shinobi and other war endeavors and while it wasn’t a problem for the Uzumaki when everyone was still warring clans time, with the shinobi clans unified into villages competing on a national scale... sabotaging the enemy nations by making them have to pay for damages natural disasters could cause is a very valid tactic. Hence why fuinjutsu was also the downfall of the Uzumaki; blaming it on the existence of jinchuriki and the Uzumaki as a threat to them is just laziness.

Oh and all that past the ‘Uzumaki have a school of fuinjutsu’ is not needed to be known by the various characters in Direct Thee to Peace so probably won’t be mentioned ever in fic. But this does explain why the Uzumaki within the Senju have more formal experience and expect Hashirama and Tobirama to understand what ‘as formal as with the Daimyo’ means because the Uzumaki obviously have various Daimyo as clients seeing as how they’re protecting various islands and parts of Fire from typhoons. It also means that while the Uzumaki can’t feed themselves without said missions but that doesn’t mean that they’re poor. It is the Senju that are the poor cousins and it shows rather blatantly sometimes. Which Izzy tries not to laugh about too much. It’s mean to Tobirama.

[al-hekima-madara-blog]

Madara Finale Speech

This part is not canon to the manga. However, since it's the last moment where Madara summarises his action and what triggers him to start the Infinite Tsukuyomi. It's kind of a POV without being really one because there is no new informations to what he said. But usually we forgot this powerful monologue because...you know... the shadow guy in the back did what he did...😑... And we were so surprise by this plot twist that we totally forgot Madara's words.

"I just want to be the saviour that ends the long history of fighting amongst shinobi"

He embodied perfectly the anti-villain trope. Noble cause but horrific manners. And also it goes along with my headcanon here that Madara has always be groomed by his clan to think of himself as someone special chosen by the Divine. The God's complex is older that we thought. Madara reminds me a bit the Big Nurse in the movie Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, where she is convinced to act for the well-being of her patients while her acts are authoritarian and cruel. The only difference is that Madara is fully aware of his own acts of violence in order to reach is goal, in this "cursed world" as he said there is no other way, and it's also the only way he learned as a child soldier during the Warring state era.

Establishing Ninja village led to an increase in their military built-up which result in battles that turned into great wars...with countless lives lost. The battling of what became the first Great Ninja War, the second Ninja War, the third Ninja war... The fightings never stop. That's Hashirama's legacy to the Shinobi world.

His comprehension on the shinobi world leaves you torn. All is true, painfully true. Contrary to Hashirama, he lived long enough to witness with his own eyes (pun intended) every wars. There is nothing the main characters can possibly talk no jutsu with him because either they are too dumb (Naruto), or too indoctrinate in the Will of Fire to even consider other perspectives (Sakura, Kakashi). And generally way to young to have seen every conflicts he is talking about.

Sasuke's position at this very moment is the most interesting.

But Hashirama ultimately failed in reforming the Shinobi world

Notice as the camera pauses for a long time on Sasuke. It's only after a second rewatching that we realise at this moment Sasuke has reached the same conclusion than Great-Great-Great-Grandpa. He heard Itachi's version, Danzo's version, Hiruzen's version, Tobirama, Hashirama, and even Hagoromo himself... In comparaison Naruto has no idea of the big picture. On and on, Sasuke listened all of them and meditated their past decisions who led to the current situation. The Shinobi world needs a reform because Hashirama and his successors have failed somewhere, in their own admissions. And he, Sasuke, is driven to be an Hokage and makes a change he called revolution. He is young enough to not be totally disillusioned like his ancestor. And for once, Madara's old age is a problem. His accumulation of experiences and tragedies froze his thirst for life (Gai may call it The springtime of youth) to the point he rather forces everyone into a fake existence than let them live and progress on their own. He hate this reality and doesn't want anymore to let it grow. While Sasuke still wants to change this reality.

Is this your idea of a perfect world? You're just deceiving people.

It's so strange because finally Sasuke is acting like the main character should act. Being challenged not just physically but also intellectually by an opponent, and overtakes him. Because of his Rinnegan and his EMS he was the only one who protected team 7 under his Susanoo and potentially the only one who could have stop the effect of Infinite Tsukuyomi. He actually doesn't need Naruto. That's the reason later he said that he will kill him first, the 5 kages and then he will liberate people from the genjutsu. This character is so independent from the main story we could literally have his own sequel without mentioning team 7. Anyway back to the old lad...

People cannot show each other their true feeling

When I dissected Madara's mistakes, I've said before that one of his main goal was to find a way to reach people's heart but he gave up the idea very early in his life. He never found a way to fully trust others and no one in return ever trust him.

My opinions were pushed aside

I've always repeated again and again but we never had Madara's POV about what happened in Konoha when he was still part of it. What happened exactly with Iwa? Why did his own clan prefer to be close to the Senju (long time enemies) than trust their own leader? Why was Hashirama not able to listen to his friend's opinion ? Lots of people talk about him, but we never let him express himself. We speculate but in the end, his opinion is still a mystery.

[rayshippouuchiha]

Alright! We have Nara Fixation feating Naruto

But can we get Pyromaniac Uchiha feating wind nature Naruto

Like, maybe, age 6 when Sasuke is still learning the Great Fireball and Naruto come tumbling over over flowing with chakra. See what Sasuke is trying to do and is like “wind makes fire bigger! I learned that when I couldn’t get any food from the market. I have to catch and cook my own food. Anyways watch this!”

And makes like nice little breeze and Sasuke’s all like “what is a gust of wind gonna do Dobe? You need something better to use with the Great Fireball! Amaterasu help me!”

Then they fight and make a bet and they try to work together to make a combo move and then they burn down the WHOLE UCHIHA TRAINING GROUND and then it’s all over for Sasuke’s little Uchiha Heart.

Oh oh you’re speaking my language with this shit right here darling.  Because yes, yes this makes perfect sense.  I live for a Naruto who practically breathes chakra and we all know Uchiha are all collectively Like That(TM) so it really would be a match made in pyro-heaven.

And of course I’ll tweak it a bit cause I’m digging this being a post-Massacre thing:

So Sasuke and Naruto know each other in a passing sort of way, of course they do. Sasuke is the second son of the Uchiha Clan head so everyone tends to know who he is.

And as for Naruto?  Well even at their age Naruto is already infamous in the village as a whole as well as with the other kids their age.  Naruto with his bright hair and his ragged clothes and his too loud everything.  Naruto who does nothing but cause chaos and get yelled at in class at the Academy.

Naruto who most of them have been warned to stay well and far away from.

So of course the last thing Sasuke’s expecting when he’s out at the dock is to see Naruto, a bruise blossoming brilliantly across his face and blood rusting one nostril and the corner of his mouth, come tumbling out of the reeds.

On his part Naruto looks equally surprised to see him, blue eyes going wide and entire body locking into place.

Hand raised to his mouth and gathered chakra puffing out his cheeks, Sasuke freezes for a too long moment as they stop and stare at each other.

The ashy cough and wheeze Sasuke gives out when the chakra finally grows unstable in his mouth and throat makes Naruto giggle just a bit.

“Oi, oi, oi,” Naruto finally calls as he pulls himself up out of the reeds and onto the dock, uncaring at how his feet and legs are covered in mud and muck.  “You doing cool jutsu?  What is it?”

Sasuke debates on answering for a long moment. But, well, it’s not like there’s anyone around to get in trouble with for talking to Naruto anymore.

And Naruto’s the only one in class who doesn’t look at him like that.

“Great Fireball,” Sasuke finally answers just as Naruto’s begun to droop just a bit.

“Can you teach me?” Naruto asks, bright eyes wide as they fix on Sasuke’s face.

“No,’ Sasuke tells him, just a bit defensively.  “It’s for Uchiha only.”

“Oh,” Naruto slumps for a split second before he perks back up yet again. “That’s kinda cool, that you got family jutsu.”

The words hover heavy in the air between them, a silent sort of understanding over this terrible thing they both have in common now.

“Can’t do it perfect yet,” Sasuke digs the tip of his sandal into the dock. “Not like Ita-he could when he was my age.”

Because yes Sasuke had trained to do the fireball so he could finally gain Fugaku’s attention but even then it wasn’t as impressive as Itachi’s initiation fireball had been and Sasuke wants to, has to, surpass him.

“You need more wind,” Naruto tells him gravely, arms crossed over his chest as he nods decisively.  “Wind makes the fire real big!  So if you can’t do it yet just add more wind.”

Which makes Sasuke, who ,like all Uchiha, does like the idea of bigger fire, pause for a moment.  Because he knows Naruto’s right in a way.  Wind can cause flames to grow high and stronger, but Sasuke hadn’t expected Naruto of all people to know that.

“Like this, see?” Naruto bounces forward as soon as he realizes Sasuke’s actually interested in what he said.

And Sasuke watches as Naruto puffs up his cheeks, screws his eyes shut, and blows out an actual breeze.

It’s not very large or strong but it’s undeniably a wind current and not just a heavy breath.

And Naruto did it with no hand signs.  Did it through pure concentration alone.

Sasuke’s mind immediately starts to spark.

“Needs to be bigger,” Sasuke finds himself saying.  “Bigger wind for a bigger fireball.”

Naruto deflates just a bit.

“Don’t know any real wind jutsu,” Naruto mumbles, arms moving to hug himself while he stares at the dock.

Which, even if he won’t say it, is actually more impressive to Sasuke.  Because, again, it means Naruto did that through pure will and chakra alone.

“Might have a few scrolls on them somewhere,” Sasuke’s mouth moves on its own.

Beside him Naruto’s eyes go wide with what looks a lot like awe and the beginning of hope.

Sasuke looks away, cheeks burning red, and reminds himself that he’s only doing this so he can see a bigger fire.

~~~

Two weeks later, a bundle of scrolls hunted down and the Great Breakthrough jutsu firmly in Naruto’s arsenal, the two of them head back out to the dock.

~~~

Five minutes later all Sasuke can do is stare in awe as everything around them burns.

When he looks over to the right and sees Naruto back lit by the flames all he can do is throw his head back and laugh.

Because he’s never seen anything so beautiful in his entire life.

Now all Sasuke has to do is hurry up and kill Itachi so he can have this for the rest of forever.

[chanfictions]

Akatsuki reader, partners...mmmmm maybe Hidan and Kisame.

Again, fem! The reader gets hit by someone else's technique.

(Or she was stupidly thrown something that she didn't have time to dodge).

The reader gets aroused and suddenly wants to have sex, whines, rubs herself against Kisame and Hidan, and they decide to help her ;3

(Either arrive at the base and fuck there, or right where they got rid of the opponents)

Hey anon! Sooooo, I know this isn't exactly what you requested. I couldn't for the life of me fit Hidan and Kisame into the same box to make this work, so I just stuck with Kisame. It started with your ask. One thing led to another and this happened. I got carried away with plot. Again. Hope you still enjoy! 

Cupid

18+ Content! Minors DNI!

Kisame x Reader

Smut with a splash of plot. Unprotected sex-ish. Reader is assumed to be on birth control. Public sex-ish. Aphrodisiacs. Mentions of blood during combat.

You were sent on a mission together to retrieve a special relic that had some unexpected side effects.

3.4k

This mission was doomed from the start.

Pain had partnered you with Kisame on an infiltration and retrieval mission to acquire a powerful ninja tool being housed in a fortified military compound not far from the Hidden Sound. Stealth was your forte, so this sort of thing was right up your alley. While you had no hard-hitting combat skills to fall back on in the event that something went awry, you weren't particularly worried. As a phantom thief with a perfect record in your high profile heists, the thought of getting caught or needing to participate in a fight hardly crossed your mind. You insisted to Pain that you had never needed backup in the past and could easily do this yourself, but Pain disagreed. Kisame was assigned to you more or less as a bodyguard whether you liked it or not.

Kisame had been running solo since Itachi's death and had gotten a tad rusty when it came to fighting alongside another person. Your battle techniques got along about as well as oil and water. You favored covert sabotage and traps, and Kisame, well, Kisame was Kisame. Nothing that man did was small. He transformed every battlefield he encountered into a shark-infested lake before completely obliterating his opponents.

That's how everything went sideways. Kisame, bless his blue heart, was not subtle. You donned your camouflage jutsu and got ready to slink into the compound. "I'll pop a flare if I get into trouble. It's going to be much easier to sneak in and out without a 6'8" sword on legs following me. Just wait here."

Staring at the spot where he thought you were probably standing, Kisame's face twisted slightly. "This really isn't a good idea, Y/N." Unfortunately for Kisame, you were already long gone, and he was having a conversation with the wind. With a heavy sigh, he leaned back against a thick tree, focusing on the compound not far off in the distance where you would be poking around on your own. He didn't like the idea of you going in there alone. You were still relatively new to the Akatsuki, and your skills had yet to be formally tested. Kisame got along with you quite well and rather liked you, so allowing you to dive head first into danger without any real offensive jutsu in your arsenal left him on edge.

That overprotective nervousness regarding your safety was what sent everything spiraling out of control. An alarm sounding from within the walls of the compound left Kisame bristling and looking skyward for a flare. As the seconds ticked by into minutes with no cloud of smoke rising into the sky and the clear sound of soldiers mobilizing inside, Kisame made the executive decision to throw your plan out the window.

What he didn't know was that the alarm you set off was a decoy. Oh, shit. After plunging the base into chaos, it occurred to you that you had neglected to tell Kisame as much. At that moment, you realized that Kisame was probably about to charge in, sharkskin blazing. Shit, shit, shit! Every profanity you knew blared across your stream of consciousness like ticker tape as you hurriedly snatched the relic longbow you had been sent in to retrieve. A gooey sap coated the slick wood which left you quickly wiping your palms on your thighs to clean your hands before making a beeline for the exit. The growing cacophony of chaos outside announced Kisame's arrival.

As you expected, things outside had gotten a little out of hand. Kisame was in the heat of battle, taking on an army by himself and winning. Jutsu flew across the battlefield like exchanges of elemental cannon fire. Half of a battalion was encased in water prisons and the other was fleeing from shark filled orbs of water. Kisame was grinning ear to ear as he swatted off one after another like whiffle balls with Samehada.

You quickly scurried across the scene, sneaking up behind Kisame and whisper-screaming to get his attention. "Kisame, you big dummy! It was just a diversion! I'm fine!!"

Surprised, Kisame turned an eye to where he assumed you were while sending another enemy flying with a swing of his greatsword with an amused chuckle. "Next time, you might want to tell me what your plan is. Here I thought you were fighting off an army all by yourself."

"No, that's just you! Come on, I got the thing. Let's go!" You danced around him to avoid the swings of his sword, still wanting to keep yourself out of sight. Upon seeing his feet shift, you turned around just in time to see a flurry of arrows flying your way in such a wide spray that dodging them was going to be a feat.

Kisame blocked what he could with Samehada, but not knowing where exactly you were, wasn't sure he had protected you. A yelp answered his question. You shimmered back into sight just in front of him. He missed one, and it had plunged straight through your thigh. A stain of your blood quickly began mixing in with the sap you had wiped on your pants earlier. "Damnit!"

"I'm fine! Let's just go!" You shouted over the clatter of weapons and incoming pursuit, getting ready to run. With a snarl, Kisame reached down and snapped both ends off of the arrow before unceremoniously throwing you over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes and retreating.

Fortunately, the soldiers had been so devastated by Kisame's onslaught that they hardly had the numbers to launch a fruitful pursuit. In the chaos, they had yet to notice that you stole the very item this outpost had been built to protect. Once he had put sufficient distance between you two and the base, he searched briefly for some cover to deal with your leg wound and leapt down from the towering branches to set you down with your back to a barky trunk.

You were beginning to feel flushed and hot as a shiver of heat rattled through your body and left an oddly pleasant knot in your belly. Blood roared in your ears as your heart began to race. When you looked up at Kisame, something felt… different.

Kisame knelt down to look at your leg. "You should have been standing behind me," he chided while setting one large palm on your thigh to brace it while he used the other to remove the broken arrow shaft. An ache built in your core as you caught your lip between your teeth. The warmth of his hand sent a tingling sensation rippling through your body. "Sorry, I didn't mean for that to hurt."

With massively dilated pupils, you stared at him hungrily. "It… didn't hurt," you breathed. With a deep inhale, you wondered how you never noticed how good he smelled.

Kisame stared back at you critically. "You're awfully sweaty for someone who wasn't running." Shock washed over his face after touching your forehead. You were positively boiling. "Y/N, are you feeling alright? Was there poison on that arrowhead? Your eyes..." Concern was beginning to bubble as he pulled the item in question from his pack, examining it, completely oblivious to the wild fantasies bubbling in your head.

He was so close. Your body hummed to life as that heat in your belly began growing in size. An ache throbbed through your core. Your heart was in your mouth. Every inch of your skin pricked with the need for contact. And Kisame… how had you never noticed just how hot he was? Sure, you had some occasional dirty, late night fantasies about him. But now? You couldn't tear your eyes away from him. The muscles rippling across his torso were hardly concealed by that black cloak. Even with those unusual features, his face was remarkably handsome, not to mention each time he spoke, shocks seemed to travel straight through your body and into your clit. Still with your lip caught between your teeth, you let out a sultry breath and ghosted your fingertips along his firm bicep. All that seemed to do was make your hunger worse.

Kisame, entirely oblivious to what was unfolding behind your eyes, just looked confused. The arrowhead didn't appear to have any substance left on it, and he couldn't think of another cause for your apparently unwell state. He unpacked some rudimentary first aid supplies from his pack and wrapped some gauze tightly around your thigh as a temporary measure to staunch the bleeding. Thinking that your stare focused at him was vacant, he snapped his fingers in front of your face to try to get your attention. "Hey, talk to me. What's going on with you?"

While his arm was extended, you latched onto it like a lifeline, nuzzling your face into his bicep and inhaling deeply. "Kisame..." You couldn't resist. You needed to touch him. Following that arm back to his torso, your hands traced every ripple of muscle while Kisame froze in shock.

You were his partner. While he undoubtedly found you attractive, this seemed like an odd time to suddenly declare your own desires. "What's gotten into you?" He wrapped his hands around your wrists, engulfing them entirely, as they traversed his muscular chest.

"Dunno… I just really… really need you." You used the grip he had to pull yourself in, burying your face against his neck and breathing deeply again. "You smell so good…"

A light heat rushed across Kisame's cheeks as you abruptly began coming on to him. Between your strange behavior and the thrill of the battle he had just been in, he was amped up. Your body being pressed so tightly against his was causing some complications to arise. His pulse quickened as you nuzzled and rubbed yourself against him. Feeling your breasts against his chest and your heated breath on his neck was distracting him from the issue at hand. "Y/N…" He let out your name in a low growl, intending it to be a warning, but it didn't quite come off with the bite he had intended. Hearing that word fall from his lips in such a tone just set you ablaze. A little moan escaped your lips, and you coiled yourself around him like a lusty little boa constrictor, trailing little bites and open mouth kisses on his neck, savoring every salty inch of his exposed skin. Another deep growl rumbled in Kisame's chest as he ran a strong palm up your spine to the back of your neck. "You're under the influence of some kind of jutsu," he breathed heavily, trying very hard to resist biting you back as his own desire built rapidly. There was no denying how steamy this situation was growing.

"Don't care," you whispered, nibbling at his ear as your hands wandered the chiseled landscape of his body.

"You're injured," he continued, now getting sucked into your lusty riptide, grazing your neck with pointed teeth.

"Don't care," you breathed again, beginning to unzip his cloak.

"We're in enemy territory," he murmured between bites on your throat that no doubt left marks before swallowing you in a crushing kiss. Those calloused hands ran up your sides, wanting to explore more but seeming hesitant.

"Don't care," you mewled, reaching for the waist of his pants, your fingertips grazing the impressive package Kisame was concealing, wiggling your hips for any kind of relief from the needy heat that was driving you to the brink of madness. Your panties were drenched. Your core ached. It was like you had been edged for two days straight without any kind of release. Every nerve in your body was hypersensitive to touch.

Another deep sound rattled in his throat. You ensnared him in this whirlwind, and there was no going back now. You undressed each other in a flurry of zippers and fabric, discarding one item after another in a heap upon the leaves scattered across the forest floor. You didn't care about the dirt. Nothing else existed to you right now outside of the deft hands moving across your body, making you arch your back and moan. His scent flooded your head. You were drowning in Kisame, yet felt like you were dying of thirst. You wanted him. Needed him. Your brain and body shared a singular focus. Neither the mission nor your bleeding leg mattered right now.

Kisame picked you up by the backs of your thighs, pressing your back against the rough trunk of the tree while leaving a trail of branding bites along your neck and collarbone, drawing a whine out of you. You wrapped your uninjured leg around his waist, grinding your soaked pussy against him and letting a lewd moan drift into the sky. That little bit of friction alone was nearly enough to send you over the edge. Your hands wandered, caressing every ridge and ripple of the muscle coiled like steel cables under his skin. This man was built. By now, you were well aware that he was hung like a horse as well. That impressive appendage was currently teasing the hell out of your hungering little hole. You could feel that broad head rubbing through your slick folds as you shifted. "Kisame, please," you whispered with a breathy lust, rolling your hips against him.

A low, raspy chuckle tickled your ear. "You're going to scream and give away our location," he teased.

"Then kiss me so I can't." Your desperation to have that massive girth inside of you dripped from every pore as you tangled your arms around his neck to pull him into a hungry kiss.

Unable to decline such a delicious request, Kisame shifted you to begin impaling you on his impressive cock painstakingly slowly, stretching your walls around him. He smothered your wails with his mouth. Your back scraped across the rough bark behind you, but you didn't care. This was divine. You tensed and whimpered, both aching to be filled and struggling to accommodate the sheer size of him. You clung to him for dear life, gasping and catching his lip between your teeth as he finally sheathed himself. Your core throbbed and pulsed. Nerves ached for input. You used your good leg to try to pull him in even deeper. Another little chuckle rolled through him at your enthusiasm and impatience. "Someone is eager," he teased again with a single thrust to punctuate his statement.

You mewled before biting his neck. "Kisammm-" He silenced you with a bruising kiss before any more complaints or moans could escape your lips as he began drilling you into that tree. Birds fled from the branches above from the force of his motions disturbing their roosts. You clawed his chest and back, screaming into his mouth as he repeatedly buried himself in your fluttering core. You were on fire. Each time your hypersensitive clit rubbed against his body, stars erupted behind your eyes. Sweat slicked your bodies as a steamy heat began to rise. The drag of your nipples against his skin sent rippling shocks of pleasure through your entire being.

"Fuck, Y/N," he growled in your ear, large palms tightly gripping your ass as he drove himself into you again and again. You buried your face against his shoulder to let out a muffled wail as he sent you right over the edge. Your walls clenched tightly around him, eliciting a primal snarl from his lips. He sank his teeth into your neck as his powerful motions set impressions of that tree bark pressing into your back. With your good leg, you pulled him even deeper, arching into him as you flew off into orbit. A palm slammed over your mouth as he railed you into that tree to stifle the litany of cries erupting from your throat. Your head hit the wood behind you. He kept you pinned firmly there while fucking you into oblivion.

Your world melted away into nothing but the input of pleasure ripping through your body. The surrounding forest faded away. All you could hear was your own muffled heavy breathing, Kisame's grunts, and the slick sounds your bodies made between rhythmic contact. Every inch of you pulsed and throbbed with heat. Orgasm after orgasm tore through you in a continuous wave that left you with numbed legs and a soaked core. Your head was adrift in the clouds, the situation seeming impossible. Your new partner railing you against a tree in enemy territory was not your plan for this mission, but hell, you weren't going to question it. Your body ached and hungered for more. You kissed him as though he were your only source of air and you were suffocating.

Kisame picked up the pace, digging his fingers more firmly into your ass while keeping a tight clamp over your mouth to muffle the inhuman sounds you were making. Your eyes rolled back in your head as you lost yourself in another powerful crash of an orgasm, strangling his impressive girth with the crushing grip of your walls. A low growl and a series of curses rumbled through his body into yours as the depth of the thrusts increased until the hold your pussy had on him sent him over the edge and milked him dry. He growled your name through his release, gripping you tightly against his firm body. The combined sound of your heavy panting was the only thing that could be heard over the breeze rustling through leaves overhead.

That fog in your head slowly began to lift as you caught your breath. Your muscles trembled with fatigue as you dropped your head against his shoulder. "Fuck," you whispered through heavy breaths, slowly running your palms up his chest to his shoulders. Still pinned against the tree with his length buried within you, it took a moment for you to remember where you were. A soft hiss escaped your lips as he shifted your weight, reminding you that there was still a bleeding hole in your thigh.

"You good?" A raspy chuckle rumbled under your head that you had resting against his chest. He maintained his grip on you for the moment, not sure if you were about to go weak in the knees and collapse into a heap if he let you down.

"Yeah, I'm good," you giggled, turning your heated cheek against him before grimacing again when you looked down and saw the rather unfortunate state your leg was in.

Kisame slowly slid his length from you before gently setting your feet back down into the crunchy leaves littering the forest floor. With an arm still around your back for the sake of your stability, he glanced down at what you were eyeing, spotting your wound and what looked like a stain of pink that wasn't blood still flushing the surrounding skin. He carefully brushed his fingers against it, picking up a swipe of the gooey substance that you had wiped on your pants earlier that had seeped through the fabric and into your wound when you were hit. "What's this?" He inquired curiously, giving it a sniff.

"Some sap or something that was oozing from that bow," you breathed, shifting your weight onto your good leg and breathing heavily still as you leaned into him.

Kisame let out a hearty laugh. "You didn't wear gloves when you handled it, did you?"

Your face paled. You had entirely forgotten Pain's instructions regarding the handling of that weapon in your haste to leave with it during Kisame's little rumble with the defending army. "Oh, god -- damnit." An embarrassed laugh started shaking your shoulders as you defeatedly let your forehead fall against his chest.

"That bow is made of cherub wood. While it makes excellent longbows, its sap is also the primary ingredient in aphrodisiacs," Kisame teased. The embarrassed giggling overtook you and melted into genuine, hysterical laughter.

"Woops."

[liam-cadmus]

Shikamaru and Sasuke would walk outside the Hyuuga estate, careful disinterest showing in their faces, despite the absolute rage they feel on the inside.

As clan heirs, they both know, that Hyuuga has different traditions, but that doesn't mean it's right.

So whenever they're excused to go, they would slip on tight-lipped smiles, and Sasuke would pull Shikamaru outside the door, hand gripped tight to not let the Nara accidentally punch the stoic face of Hiashi.

He doesn't really know how it started, his and Neji's relationship was one that started off rocky, with their annoyance at each other teetering over the edge every time they meet.

They can somehow just rile up each other, their previous calm and collected figures thrown haphazardly out the window. They leave teasing each other with how better their own dojutsu is over the other.

His annoyance doesn't taint the fact he knows that the screams of pain he hears while getting farther away the main house is not right.

He wills himself to pull Shikamaru farther, not trusting to stop in their steps in case that he himself barges into that house to stop Neji's pain.

He remembers the meetings his mother usually takes, leaving him with Shikamaru and Hinata on a room, the Hyuuga's cousin standing by the corner.

Fugaku was genin teammates with Hiashi and Yoshino, while Mikoto was with Kushina and Shikaku.

So, Shikamaru would mostly be dozing off in the corner, while Hinata would just..read or make flower crowns, that she once placed atop of his head.

He, in his annoying 5-year old body, would bother Neji, looking to bright white eyes with his bottomless onyx ones, glaring.

And..Neji would get defensive and narrow his white eyes, which would then startle the living shit out of him, his own surprise mirroring on pupil-less eyes.

"Stay away," he would say to him, but he never seemed to understand, staying with him while they grew up.

Sasuke, despite his soul screaming at him to come back, doesn't stop dragging Shikamaru to the gates, squeezing the tan hand in his in comfort.

They know, they all know not to intervene, or else Neji would have worse, and he doesn't really want to put the male in much more pain because of him.

Shikamaru seethes with rage, his right hand clenching and unclenching in anger. Sasuke stops by the sidewalk, letting go of their intertwined hands.

He extends his arm, Shikamaru's twitchy hands clasping on his arm covering, tan fingers twisting in the white fabric.

They slowly walk away towards the Uchiha complex, Shikamaru focusing on calming himself down.

"You know that we can't stop him, Shika, as much as we want to." he mumbles, brushing a strand of hair out of his face with his unoccupied hand.

Shikamaru grumbles, "I hate that even I tell my parents, they can't stop Uncle Hiashi."

It's a very known fact after all, you can't fight a clan's traditions, it's against their law, and it's showing disrespect.

Shikamaru knows, for a fact, a lot of things. He knows, after much observation and interrupted naps, that Naruto is (he's sure of it, but he'll find the truth, soon.) the son of the Yondaime and his wife. His uncle...and aunt.

He knows for a fact, that it's illogical, for Itachi Uchiha to massacre the whole clan just to prove his strength.

He seems to be not the only one who has this conclusion, based on his shared glances with Neji when they were sitting by Sasuke's bed side.

He knows, that Itachi loves his brother so much, to death, and did not kill his kin for absolutely no reason.

He knows, that the main family and branch system of the Hyuuga clan is absolutely vile, Neji's pain making him hurt physically, while he and Sasuke wait in the sidelines, helpless in his cries of help.

He knows that once he's a jounin, he'll do everything he can do, to help his friends, survive this nightmare.

He's laying on a patch of grass, underneath a canopy of leaves, watching the clouds pass by.

Neji stumbles up the hill, weak and clutching at his forehead, shivering.

Sasuke looks over from practicing his fire jutsu at the dock, running quickly to support Neji up the hill.

Shikamaru asked him why he bothered to come, that they wouldn't have minded if he was absent, and that he should've rested instead.

All he said was, "I didn't want to be alone."

Shikamaru rapped on the door repeatedly, before stepping away a bit, bowing. "Hiashi-san, would it be alright if I invite Neji to my house, my parents are hoping that he comes to dinner."

Hiashi would frown disapprovingly at him, before relenting, Neji's half smile greeting him when the Hyuuga walked out the door.

He's grateful, that his parents try.

Sees them checking up on Naruto and Sasuke, and by extension, Neji. They try their best to be there for them, the adults being there for their deceased parents, their deceased team mates.

"They would have done the same if they were the one alive." they told him with gentle smile, and a ruffle of hair.

Shikamaru finds out early, that Sasuke and Neji's dojutsu places a strain on their eyes, and chakra pathways, so he learns.

Despite being lazy, he learns medical ninjutsu, on his spare time. He barrels through clan jutsus and training, always making sure to leave space for learning it.

He learns, even if it's so troublesome, he learns.

The grateful smile he receives while green chakra covered hands are pressed to their temples are worth it.

Shikamaru would try to excuse Neji, especially when it's not his fault, just to lessen the pain.

It would never work though, so he just provides comfort after.

Neji, is always brought to the Uchiha compound when he's tired. He would walk through the cold streets towards Sasuke's empty, eerie house.

He would plop down beside Sasuke, leaning his head on his shoulder, while the Uchiha plays shogi against Shikamaru, his right arm across Neji's shoulders, blanketing him in warmth.

His breathing matches with theirs, their quiet murmuring lulling him to sleep.

Neji looks at Shikamaru, the two of them of them sporting frowns on their faces. Yoshino and Shikaku sit by the the table, pale in the face, gripping the table tight.

Shikamaru shared another alarmed glance before pursing his lips, undoubtedly going through multiple reasons why.

Why did Itachi murder the whole clan? Wait, Sasuke-

Shikamaru and Neji's heart stopped, before the two scramble to stand, leaving the table and out of the Nara compound, running with all their might with their small legs.

They pant, looking up to the various yellow tapes surrounding the once loud and lived in compound, splotches of blood smearing across the windows and floor, coppery tang of it making them scrunch their nose.

Shikamaru almost gags when two ANBU guards carry a cold, lifeless Mikoto out of the door, her hand limp on the side.

Neji fights the urge to cry, approaching Chouza, before Shikaku shows up behind them, hugging them both to his chest.

He holds them close, before settling Neji on his hip, and Shikamaru on his shoulders, smiling sadly at Chouza before body flickering to the hospital.

A pale, so so very pale, almost grey looking boy lay against white sheets, charcoal hair falling around his face, furrowed brows and shuffling on the bed.

They breathe out in relief seeing their friend alive, before hearing "He's trapped in a genjutsu."

Sasuke opens his eyes, gasping for breath, crying. He can't breathe, feeling blood all over his body and palms, blood choking him. He sobs, his Sharingan activating for a moment before slumping towards Shikaku's chest, the man letting the boy grieve.

Sasuke hears in the darkness, "We're here, always."

Neji places himself on Sasuke's back, glaring back at the whispers and prying eyes around him. Shikamaru flanks Sasuke's front, scowling at whoever tries to accuse bloody murder on his friend.

They sleep beside him, hoping to lessen his nightmares, and staying up with him when he wakes up crying.

"Sas, you know your brother is not like that right?"

"I know, I just don't understand why."

Shikamaru frowns at him, seeing the scars on his chest and upper arms. He glowers at him before clicking his tongue, muttering "Such a drag." under his breath, mouth turned down in worry.

"I had to protect the idiot. Got the Sharingan though."

They don't bother correcting him.

Neji stares at the cursed mark on Sasuke's shoulder, his thumb absentmindedly grazing across it.

What has Sasuke done to you? Why make him suffer?

Sasuke glares at Danzo, before Kakashi body flickers, pulling at the bandages.

Neji's suspicion was true, it was full of sharingan eyes, Shisui's Mangekyou in Danzo's eyesocket.

Sasuke stiffens, opening and closing his mouth before he staggers back ward, Mangekyou Sharingan spinning in his eyes.

He growls, "How dare you."

  (Shikaku, and Yoshino are protective of the boys, along with Iruka and Kakashi. Tsume even threatened Hiashi if he intervenes with the children.

"I've already seen our friends die, I'm not letting you ruin the friendship we wanted for the kids."

Konoha 12 is very tight knit, very protective.)

[madara-fate]

Hi! What’s your favorite fight from shippuden and why, and if you have time could you rank the top ten? I always love reading your posts since you usually aren’t biased towards specific characters so I was curious

Honourable mentions include Jiraiya vs Pain, Sasuke vs Raikage, Konan vs Obito, and Gai vs Kisame.

10. Naruto vs Orochimaru - The first appearance of 4 Tailed Naruto, and showed how powerful Orochimaru was to be able to go toe to toe with him while he was nowhere near 100%.

09. Sasuke vs Deidara - It was a real back and forth battle of wits.

08. Kakashi vs Obito - The choreography of their taijutsu while flashing back and forth between the present and the past was amazing. Not to mention the emotional weight of their encounter due to their history.

07. Sakura and Chiyo vs Sasori - The first truly great battle of Shippuden. Sakura’s battle cry as she pulls Sasori towards her and smashes him to pieces is such a great scene.

06. Taka vs Killer Bee - The way in which Killer Bee was able to manhandle the entirety of Taka (after Sasuke had just received a powerup) was very daunting, and really put into perspective the sheer calibre of opponents they would be dealing with from that point onwards.

05. Sasuke vs Danzo - The ultimate battle of attrition between the Susanoo and the Izanagi. That style of battle hadn't been done in the series before, so it was cool to see.

04. Madara vs The Allied Shinobi Forces - Naruto suffered from the same thing that DBZ did - It started off being heavily focused on the hand to hand combat, shurikens, kunai etc. You know, like NINJAS, but then it slowly devolved into who could create the biggest explosions, just like DBZ did. That’s why I always really appreciate it when a fight places a lot of emphasis on the taijutsu, and this one did just that. Madara’s hand to hand display was insane, and the way he summoned friggin’ meteors like it was just another Fireball jutsu was legendary. “What are you gonna do about the second one Onoki?”. He looked like such a boss.

03. Naruto vs Pain - So many things screamed epic encounter. Pain had killed Jiraiya, Shizune, Kakashi, Hinata (apparently), killed or seriously wounded countless others, and even destroyed the village. The stakes and scale were at an all time high. Plus, Pain’s speech about peace and justice was absolutely iconic. I always love it when an antagonist spews irrefutable facts that not even the protagonist can counter.

02. Sasuke vs Itachi - The fated battle of brothers. This fight had been foreshadowed from as early as chapter 4, so when it was finally happening, my hype was through the roof. They clashed with their genjutsus, their shurikens and their Fire Styles. It introduced highly destructive techniques like the Kirin and the Susanoo, it led to one of the most shocking and emotional twists in the entire series through the reveal about Itachi’s past, and resulted in Sasuke awakening his Mangekyou Sharingan. The significance and repercussions of this battle were unmatched, it marked a true turning point in the series.

01. Naruto vs Sasuke - The emotional baggage and historical significance of this fight were enough to give it the top spot, but after they had clashed with their most powerful jutsus, and were left to rely on pure taijutsu to just beat the living hell out of each other, I was sold. There was also the unnerving prediction Naruto made regarding how they’d both die if they faced each other again. That made witnessing the fight that much more distressing, because you truly feared for their lives.

Doing this list made me remember just how many great fights Sasuke was involved in during Shippuden, lol.

[secret-engima]

Today in “SE works through the Chuunin Exam Arc and gets increasingly incredulous over how a show so beloved can have so many GAPING PLOT HOLES and also wow you can actually tell when the animators were getting paid to be enthusiastic or not can’t you”:

1. Sarutobi why did it take you so long to realize that the stadium and village were under attack.

2. Sarutobi why did you let Orochimoron take you hostage for even a hot second KAWARIMI IS A LITERAL ACADEMY BASIC TECHNIQUE JUST SWAP OUT WITH A NEARBY TILE YOU IDIOT I’VE SEEN IT DONE BEFORE FROM THAT CLOSE RANGE. KAKASHI DID IT. SO CAN YOU.

3. Sarutobi I don’t want to say you DESERVE to be trapped in a giant purple death box with your failed student and two dead guys trying to kill you but honestly you deserve to be trapped in a giant purple death box with your failed student and two dead guys trying to kill you.

4. Anbu. My guys. My dudes. I KNOW that the barrier is deadly and made of horrible purple fire and you can’t jump in but like- the barrier holders are right there. Wasting chakra to make an extra barrier around themselves. The barrier protecting them can’t be that thick. You have these lovely things call FLAME RESISTANT STEEL SWORDS you could be using to try to crack open the barrier. Or if you were REALLY smart you could, I don’t know, TUNNEL UP THROUGH THE CEILING??? The barrier is just a box that’s been turned upside down, there is no sign of a barrier floor underneath the tiles and even if there is you guys could have checked. You don’t need to just- sit there. Watching an old man, two dead guys, and a snake wearing makeup beat each other up.

5. Who let Kakashi make the plan. Why did Kakashi decide that it would be better to send the civilian girl he hasn’t bothered to train, the loud blond who he also hasn’t bothered to train, and the boy who tried to fake sleep to get out of helping go alone with just a tiny pug as escort. There were other genin RIGHT THERE who could both help AND be conveniently out of the line of fire in Kakashi’s fight. He was sending them after Sasuke, who was chasing three genin we’ve already seen wipe the FLOOR with the average genin. Having more numbers would be HIGHLY ADVANTAGEOUS.

6. And don’t tell me “he did it because Stealth” he sent the girl with bubblegum hair and the boy in neon orange out there, stealth is a non-factor and also it’s AN INVASION, nobody is going to care about a bunch of wacky kids running by they’re too busy trying not to die to the blur of green spandex that is Gai.

7. Where is Lee in all this anyway he just kinda vanished from the screen. Or was he passed out on the floor and I just missed him. I know he can’t fight, I just wanna know if he’s okay.

8. Was it bad that I didn’t know Asuma could actually fight? I knew he was one of the Guardian Twelve or whatever but mostly fans only talk about him getting owned by Itachi or murdered by Hidan so I guess I just assumed he was ... kinda a sucky fighter. I have been proven wrong. Nice job saving your deer boy, Asuma, I’m impressed.

9. There’s an actual budget for the Hokage fight? Nice. Also who gave Sarutobi the right to actually be cool NOW when he’s been acting senile for the past 10+ episodes excuse you.

10. EXCUSE YOU SARUTOBI YOU DON’T GET TO MAKE EPIC FEELS-INDUCING SPEECHES ABOUT THE WILL OF FIRE AND THE VILLAGE AS YOUR FAMILY, NOT WHEN YOU HAVE FAILED ON BOTH THOSE ASPECTS SO HARD.

11. How dare you make me regret your impending death even a little bit Sarutobi. How dare.

12. There’s a monkey king? That’s an actual THING? I mean I knew there was a monkey king but I didn’t expect him to be so amazing. Now if he would just stop waiting for Sarutobi to grow a spine (because we all know he won’t) and actually kick Orochimaru while the snake was distracted taunting his old sensei maybe we’d actually get somewhere with this show.

13. Seriously Monkey King you turn into a adamantine pole or whatever that can change shape and size, just play dead on the ground for a minute then expand and extend to the size and length of a tree. You don’t even have to do any damage yourself you just have to shove him/wack him into his own barrier and let him go up in flames. It probably won’t kill him, since Plot and also Orochimoron, but hey at least it will do damage and distract him for a few seconds.

14. Turning to Naruto real quick because clearly Sarutobi’s Senile Damsel Syndrome is contagious- Naruto. You are an Uzumaki. You have so much chakra you can barely do chakra control exercises. I know you’re tired from the Neji fight, but I ALSO know via fandom that you’re going to summon a freaking Boss Summon in a few episodes. When Shikamaru says “someone needs to stay behind and be a diversion” why didn’t you, I don’t know, SPAM A FEW SHADOW CLONES? You didn’t even have to use only shadow clones for the diversion, you could have just dropped off a few to help out Shika in his rare moment of self-sacrifice. Half a dozen screaming orange genin would go such a long way in providing a distraction so Shika could make a plan (may I suggest, catch the sound ninja in shadow possession and then have the Naruto’s slit their throats before their ninth member has a chance to catch up?). But no. We can’t possibly spam clones the one time a comrade could find them terribly useful, let’s go back to running through the trees worrying about the boy who knows an A-Rank assassination jutsu and would be totally fine surviving on his own for another several episodes of dialogue and reaction shots ten minutes.

15. Where the ACTUAL freak is Jiraiya. He came to Konoha specifically because he heard Orochimaru was planning something. There is an INVASION HAPPENING. GIANT SNAKES. BUSTING DOWN THE WALL. ENEMY NINJA EVERYWHERE. YOUR SENSEI IS TRAPPED IN A BARRIER JUTSU WITH THE GUY YOU SPECIFICALLY CAME HERE TO LOOK FOR. You don’t suppose you could leave your drinks and women and pity party long enough to- I don’t know- HELP? I mean I know it would be hard for someone who has such niche skills like SUMMONING GIANT TOADS and USING FUUNJUTSU THAT COULD PROBABLY BREAK THE BARRIER YOUR SENSEI IS TRAPPED IN but come on man, put forth a little effort.

Maybe you show up in a later episode miraculously doing something important to help stop the invasion, who knows.

Pros of this arc tho:

1. When they decide to actually use their animation budget THEY REALLY GO FOR IT. The fights that have a budget are epic.

2. Sakura got to be useful! For 20 seconds! She fended off a genjutsu and woke up Naruto and told him what was going on! That counts as useful! *devolves into sobbing because why are the girl characters not allowed to be both good guys AND competent onscreen*

3. I genuinely cheered when Asuma swooped in to save Shika. That was cool.

4. Some of the exam fight bits were cool. Naruto vs Neji dragged on a bit but the ending tactic was as rewarding as I’d hoped it would be from reading about it in the fandom. Also I really enjoyed the Shikamaru vs Temari fight. A-tier victory from the resident Deer Boi.

5. Sasuke using Chidori first time on screen was cool, and even though I’d read about it ahead of time, Gaara wigging out over seeing his own blood genuinely startled me.

6. I was glad to see that Sasuke still remembers how to use other jutsu than Chidori. When Temari started fighting him I was afraid the show writers would forget he HAD any jutsu other than Chidori tbh. Like Naruto and his many versions of the same jutsu (see: all the clone spam variations, all the harem jutsu variations, and all the many MANY different rasengan variations).

[tora-the-cat]

can I get more gender fluid team kakashi please?

^-^ sure thing! quick reminder that I’m not genderfluid (still kinda questioning but I’m currently identifying as a demi-girl), so if I say something Problamatic please call me on it!

-As I see it; Naruto switches between ‘he/him’ and ‘she/her’ pronouns fairly often, and it is not a subtle change so it’s usually pretty easy to follow; it only gets tricky when Naruto uses ‘they/them’ pronouns for a day or two, less because he identifes with ‘they/them’ and more because it sometimes takes him a bit to figure out what pronouns to go by. Sakura is usually she/her and is fairly often they/them, only occasionally feeling more ‘he/him’, but didn’t know that ‘they/them’ was an...option, for a while, and is only really overtly feminine when she’s ‘she/her’, so people (including her sometimes) think they’re ‘he/him’ when they aren’t. Sasuke is a mess, because he never feels right in his own skin for reasons besides dysphoria, and it takes him the longest by far to realize he’s genderfluid. He’s never really been ‘she/her’, and spends most of his time switching between a handful of nonbinary-pronouns- they/them/, xe/xir- and sometimes he/him, but doesn’t know that nonbinary identities....exist, much less the names of them, and has a lot of baggage attached to being the ‘last son of the Uchiha’ and ‘Itachi’s little brother’, so basically he’s got a lot of issues to address before he can even realized much less acknowledge his genderfluidity.   -Naruto’s the only one completely comfortable with his identity. Everyone hated her anyway, so it’s not like anyone cared to ‘correct him’ for wearing ‘girls’ clothing or buying make up or anything. Like most things for her as a child, its just something she liked doing so she did with no more thought put into it.

-(Pronouns were both an issue and a non-issue; while he has fluid pronoun preferences, he rarely expresses or acknowledges them. After-all, whatever discomfort he gets from being misgendered, it’s hard to notice in the relief of being gendered at all, instead of just being an ‘it’.)

-Naruto’s team knows about him- or her, as it is sometimes, though ‘she/her’ pronouns aren’t something any of them consider trying for a few months. Sakura does her makeup when she asks them to, and Sasuke occasionally points out things that are her ‘style’, and eventually Naruto asks Kakashi to help her with sustaining her ‘transformation jutsu’ more casually and he agrees.

-Sakura is like....uber repressed. She was raised civilian, brought up to be a perfect little house-wife as soon as she got over her silly shinobi phase. It was odd, growing up; sometimes, she loved playing the part of a perfect daughter, and sometimes it was kind of annoying but not worth fighting, and occasionally it had him sitting on his hands so that he didn’t scratch holes in his skin and biting his lips bloody so he didn’t say something decidedly unladylike.

-Sakura knows about trans people, mostly because of her lowkey-transphobic parents, so he spends a signifigant amount of time thinking he’s a transboy. She waits eagerly to be a shinobi so her parents didn’t legally own her anymore (the state did) and keeps it up for while because she doesn’t know how Kakashi and Sasuke are going to react, one concering as an authority figure and the other concerning as a love prospect.

-She cuts her hair in the chunnin exam though, and it’s devastating to a part of him but so freeing to another, so he kinda just decides ‘go big or go home’ and starts wearing more boyish/baggy clothes and less make up- claiming it’s for practical training reasons.

-It works, for a little while, and Naruto is thankfully the only one who seems to have taken any notice- she doesn’t know how, but out of the three of them he’s the one that it doesn’t matter if he notices. But then, to their horror, Sakrua realizes that she has the same problem in boys clothes; he likes it sometimes, and doesn’t really care other times, and hates it with enough passion to set herself on fire on occasion.

-She doesn’t know what that means, but she does know that if she doesn’t put on something cuter soon she’s going to push Sasuke into a river. Naruto catches her eye, and he gives her a weird look, but while they’re setting up tents he gives her a change of clothes he brought in case he’d want to wear them. They’re fucking ugly, colors terribly bright, but her hair is already fucking pink and she’s desprate in a weird way so she just thanks him and changes, and Sasuke and Kakashi give her weird looks but don’t say anything.

-Along with all of xir aforementioned issues, Sasuke has a weird relationship with makeup. Xe hates it on Xemself- hates things on xir face in general- but xe likes doing makeup, like artistically, so xe’ll do Sakura and Naruto’s fairly often.

-I want to say more about xem cause I said basically nothing but this got long and I have to go do something so I guess thats that on that

[supertvngames]

Double standards- Sasuke: *goes to a clearly evil man for power, tries to kill is so-called "BFF", treats people like shit, scapegoats and said he wants to be judge, jury and executioner. Sasuke stans: BABY!!, PURE BEAN, HE DID NOTHING WRONG! HE WAS RITE!!, WAS OPRESSED11 Hinata: *exists and does none of that* Also stans: SLAVE KWEEN, SIMP, SELFISH, SUICIDAL STALKER BITCH! SHE'S BORRING!!11

Now, now. Let’s say I understand why they would defend Sasuke from beginning up to Pain arc.

Yes, majority times that it was Naruto who start the (non-violent) fight. Yes, Naruto assaulted Sasuke to disguise as him. Yes, made an unnecessary way torn Sasuke’s ego down. There are things that you can’t look pass when defending Sasuke

1.) At the hospital rooftop battle, SASUKE started the fight by challenging Naruto. Not to mention that before Naruto even used the Rasengan, Sasuke used the Fire Ball jutsu to BURN NARUTO ALIVE. Naruto only used the Rasengan to REPEL the Fire Ball, he only use the Rasengan to fight towards Sasuke is because he saw Sasuke using the Chidori, another deadly jutsu he is using.

2.) Sasuke was running away towards a dangerous evil mad man that LITERALLY wants his body, and Naruto told him about it yet Sasuke just goes “whatever”. Not only he is walking towards his own doom, he simply doesn’t care. Just to let you know, he wasn’t running away because of Konoha but rather he wants to kill his evil brother who not only deserves to die but as well needed to be stopped.

3.) Attempting to beat Sasuke HALF-to-death is basically an appropriate response to the guy was about to KILL Naruto. Sasuke attempts kill Naruto two times in one battle, he uses Chidori on Naruto and then soon after, snapping his neck. Just remember, Sasuke challenge Naruto again, not because he’s going to back, but to Sasuke, it’s a perfect opportunity to get the Mangekyou Sharingan. Also, Sasuke took Choji, Neji, Kiba, Akamaru, and Shikamaru’s rescue for granted, they were basically risking their own lives to keep Sasuke alive and away from Orochimaru.

4.) And you know what’s funny? In Shippuden, Sasuke was willingly to spare some stranger ninjas, but he’s perfectly OK with killing the teammates who still wants him away from the evil mad snake man who still wants his body. Sure, they were going force him but even then, retaliate by killing THEM? Wow, you could have just knock them out and run off, Sasuke...

5.) You know after gathering and knowing Team Taka, you’d think that Sasuke would be getting better after helping them and they help him back. ....HAHAHAHAHAHA! NO! After learning about Itachi from Obito without any evidence to back up Obito’s claims other than Sasuke is alive after their battle, Sasuke blindly and arrogantly takes his words for it, because he needed a scapegoat not just on Konoha but his friends who were just as blind as he was about Konoha’s discrimination towards the Uchiha clan and Itachi “sacrifice” himself. Seriously Sasuke was up in his own ass to think Itachi is a “hero” when really Itachi take the lives of other and never gave up anything personal. Sasuke is a hypocrite, an Itachi bootlicker, and a traitor to Team Taka. Sasuke left Suigetsu and Jugo behind for death or to rot in prison, and Jugo has a mental illness and Sasuke promised to be his cage, and was about kill Karin. Remember, Team Taka practically SAVED this ungrateful bastard MULTIPLE TIMES! Back when fighting Killer Bee, and then the Five Kage Summit. And he toss them aside, and for what? To avenge Itachi who killed his parents and clan, and made his live a living Hell, not to mention that Itachi didn’t spare anyone else, not the children and citizens. Plus not to mention Sasuke is willingly to give up his friends and everyone who care for him instead of telling them how corrupted Konoha is yet he hypocritically gets pissy that “they don’t know anything” even though he was in the same stupid shoes as them until OBITO told him. At this point, this is where Sasuke falls completely, Putting his brother on a pedestal and doing shit for him. Huh, Sasuke became the Itachi fandumb...

And they can hate Hinata if they weren’t wrong about her, which they are.

1.) Hinata never comply with the Side Branch slavery, this thing has been going on before she was even born. Plus she’s no longer heir to being the leader of the Hyuga clan, and chances to become Hokage are very low. There is literally nothing Hinata can do. Seriously do people expect a low confident abused neglected child to do anything, or would she even approve of it?

2.) Hinata is anything but a simp, selfish, or suicidal she came to save a comrade. If she’s a simp for that, then you might as well call Shikamaru is attempting to do the same thing, with A BROKEN LEG MIND YOU. Or Hell, in case these guys forgot that Sasuke had done the same thing for Naruto back when they were fighting Haku, so they might want to call him a “simp”, “selfish”, and “suicidal” for going over an obvious bait to protect Naruto which is no different than Hinata doing the same thing to save Naruto from Pain. Both of them are ninjas performing their duty to protect their comrades. Hinata only confess is because Naruto asked like he asked Sasuke why he saved him.

3.) Looking from afar and eavesdropping aren’t stalking. Hinata didn’t pursue or approach Naruto stealthily, she didn’t harass or persecute him with unwanted and obsessive attention, she didn’t  move silently or threateningly, nor did she ever stride in a proud, stiff, or angry manner. Hinata is insecure, shy, and is an abused & neglect victim. Seriously, do people think Hinata would do any of those?

4.) Boring? Hinata has been adopting Naruto’s nindo as her own to help her build her own confidence to walk into danger, overcoming her fears and self-doubts. Helps out Naruto to overcome his own doubts before he fights Neji. Hinata interferes Pain from killing Naruto since no one does (except Shikamaru) especially his own teammate Sakura. Hinata even invented her own signature jutsu Twin Lion Fist. Still, I wish she develop a little more.

Everyone has their own reasons to hate or love a character. However if you only look at one side or even exaggerate to make your favorite character look good while making another look bad. I have to say, that’s just mighty low and a dick move. Look at both sides with an open mind, nevermind one character is your favorite and the other is your hated. 

[sparrowstrikewrites]

Saw some “Monster May” Prompts floating around and the plot bunnies went a bit bunnicula

Ghost + Whose the real monster? (featuring Shisui Uchiha)

Warning for character death, blood, and eye ball theft

Word count ~1500

The eye still glowed crimson in Danzou’s hand. Blood ran down his wrist and stained the light gray fabric of his sleeve. He paid it no mind. He couldn’t tear his eyes away from the 3 tome still floating in a lazy circle around the pupil of the eye in his hand!

“You’ll regret that.”

Shisui said it like both a promise and a threat.

Danzou forced himself to look back up at the eye’s former owner. 

At 15 Shisui Uchiha was caught between childhood and adulthood, still lanky but his shoulders were broad and muscular, a brilliant shinobi but still hopelessly naive. 

Danzou’d known for a while that Shisui was perfect. He’d let the boy hone his skills, helped him even. He’d provided the ultimate motivation-- train hard enough, perfect your genjutsu, and there’s a chance you can save everyone.

Shisui’d taken the bait, hook, line, and sinker.

Danzou felt a flush of pride at the way hope faded from the teen’s remaining eye. How many people could say they’d fooled the highest forms of the sharingan?

From where Danzou stood, Shisui wasn’t in any position to be making threats. He was alone, far from the village, surrounded by Danzou’s anbu, and dying.

Shisui knew he was dying. Poison burned through his veins and the hands he pressed to the wound on his stomach did little to slow the bleeding. Shisui knew the man in front of him would go after the rest of the clan. If he had his way, there’d be no survivors. 

Blood ran down Shisui’s face. His empty eye socket ached, but Shisui swore he’d never seen so clearly. He was going to die and Danzou would turn his dead eyes on Itachi next. Itachi-- sweet, brave, kind, loyal Itachi. 

Shisui leveled his single eye at Danzo, licked his blood lips, and spat out his dying declaration. “You think the Uchiha are monsters? You haven’t seen a monster yet, but with that eye you will.” Shisui gritted his teeth against the pain. “EVERY. FUCKING. DAY. YOU. WILL. BE. HAUNTED. When you need it most, that eye and every other stolen jutsu you have, will fail you. You’ll die alone and hated, like a real monster should--”

Danzou’s fist crashed into Shisui’s cheek. The anger on his face was a bit manic. 

The teen staggered but somehow managed to stay on his feet. 

Shisui spat out a mouthful of blood. His heart was beating too fast and he couldn’t get enough air. Spots danced in his vision. “They’ll dance on your grave until they forget you entirely, like the pointless nightmare you are.” 

Then, Shisui vanished. His body flickered and he was gone.

Or at least gone from Danzou’s sight.

They said no one ever saw Shisui Uchiha again.

Blood was found on a cliff, where the Nakano River cut its way into a deep gorge. A suicide note was found amongst Shisui’s scrolls on his desk.

They were wrong.

Itachi Uchiha saw Shisui later that same night. Watched the boy he’d loved since before he was old enough to really understand what love was step off a cliff and fall to his death. He caught glimpses of him for years after that, mostly in the crimson eye of a large raven.

Danzou Shimaru saw Shisui the next morning. He had no eyes and his cheeks were stained with blood. So too were his teeth and the dark blue shirt he wore. 

Shisui sat on the edge of Danzou’s bed and hummed. 

When Danzou scrambled for a knife, Shisui smiled and then he laughed.

“I did say you’d see a monster.” Shisui’s teeth were too sharp and in the depths of his empty eye sockets a fire flickered. “I see you,” Shisui sang. “You’re afraid. You should be.”

---

Danzou was surprised to find Itachi wasn’t as naive as his older cousin. He couldn’t be tricked, but when it came down to it he could be forced.

Danzou never wondered at the way Itachi’s eyes drifted to a place just over Danzou’s left shoulder. He never questioned the black bird that leveled him with a calculating stare from its perch on Itachi’s shoulder.

“You’re going to regret that,” Shisui said as Itachi left with a mission scroll tight in his shaking fist.

Danzou ignored the figure. 

---

That night the streets of Konoha ran red.

In the aftermath, Itachi fled the village and Sasuke was left the lone survivor of his brother’s mission. 

Itachi ran for 3 days, until he collapsed in exhaustion just across the border into Rain country. Before his brain finished shutting down, Itachi swore he could feel someone pull his shaking body into an embrace. 

---

Danzou took every crimson eye he found. He embedded them in his arms.

Shisui’s ghost looked on in silence. The flames in his eye sockets flickered hot and angry, but that was the only thing his face gave away. Even as Danzou desecrated the corpses of almost everyone Shisui had ever loved, his face remained impassive. 

That night, Danzou undid the bandages on his arm. He wanted to admire the way the black and red patterns danced and he needed to check the transplants for any sign of infection.

Shisui sat on the bed beside the man.

Danzou did his best to pretend he hadn’t noticed. It was actually working, right up to the moment Shisui reached out and grabbed his wrist.

Shisui’s touch was cold, so cold it burned.

Shisui’s eye, in Danzou’s left eye socket, burned. 

Danzou doubled over in pain and clutched at his face. For a moment he was falling. The stars were bright overhead until he was swallowed by cold, dark water. He couldn’t breathe. HE COULDN’T BREATHE!

Shisui let go of Danzou’s wrist and laughed. “I told you you’d regret that.” He smiled, predatory. “You’re just enough Uchiha now.”

---

Every time Danzou closed his eyes, he died. There were all sorts of memories preserved in his stolen eyes, but they only ever showed him the last one. 

---

A year later, one of the other elders (one who knew the truth) asked why Danzou hadn’t gone after Sasuke.

Danzou just shook his head. He didn’t tell them that he’d tried, that he’d stood over the sleeping child with a knife and felt poison burn his veins or Itachi’s blade pierce his back. How could he explain that he was haunted by the monstrous amalgamation of the Uchiha clan’s blood?

Shisui laughed then too.

---

Years later, Itachi saw Shisui again. 

Shisui looked just like Itachi remembered-- whole and happy. He offered Itachi a hand, pulled him from his shattered body, and smiled. 

Sasuke, who they all knew hadn’t really wanted this fight, just stared at the 2 ghosts with a mix of guilt and fear.

They just smiled at him. 

---

Sasuke was as haunted as Danzou. His brother’s ghost followed him. “You need to eat,” it said. Sometimes, Sasuke thought he could feel a hand on his shoulder when he jerked awake from a nightmare.

It wasn’t until Madara told him the truth of the massacre that Sasuke understood. He was haunted. His brother, his whole clan really, had unfinished business.

Sasuke went looking for Danzou Shimaru.

---

In the end, Sasuke didn’t kill Danzou. You could say his own arrogance got to him or the Uchiha clan had their revenge or karama was a bitch.

The truth of it was that the sharingan takes an obscene amount of chakra to control if you were never meant to control it. The truth of it was that the sharingan in its highest and most perfect forms takes a terrible toll on the body. Danzou’s swollen heart gave out mid battle from a combination of exhaustion and exertion.

With his final breaths, Danzou tried to rewrite the ending with Igazni. 

It didn’t take. 

One by one the stolen eyes closed until only Shisui’s was left.

Danzou could see Sasuke standing over him, sword raised. He watched Itachi reach out and catch his younger brother’s wrist.

“This isn’t your burden to bear,” Itachi said.

“You don’t have to protect me anymore,” Sasuke all but sobbed.

“No, but will you let me one last time?” Itachi asked.

Sasuke lowered the sword, turned, and walked away.

Danzou died alone. His body was broken and shattered. His lungs were full of blood and he was drowning in it-- just like Itachi had.

Danzou’s heart stopped and the last thing he heard was Shisui’s laughter.

In a small clearing not far away, Sasuke stopped walking.

2 ghosts appeared in front of him, whole and complete, not monsters (because they never were). Behind them, dozens of others flickered into existence.

Sasuke didn’t know what to say.

Itachi’s fingers brushed Sasuke’s forehead. “Live a good life. We’ll meet again and I can’t wait to hear all about it.”

The ghosts faded in the sunlight and the last Uchiha felt whole and complete and not all like the monster he’d grown up thinking he was.

---

10 years later Sasuke took a dark haired little girl to a field of flowers just outside Konoha. 

At the edge of the field, a stone was carved with words of remembrance. It was an apology from a village that would never really be able to wash the blood from its streets.

The girl was too young to read the stone, too young to know her whole history.

They picked flowers until the girl was tired and Sasuke carried her home on his back.

The moon rose and the summer festival began. 

Red lanterns painted with swirling black tome floated through the night sky beside the symbols of the other clans. Nightmares fade, but old traditions are not so easily forgotten. 

Sasuke woke his daughter up for the fireworks, he let her eat all the sweets her little heart wanted, and when the music started he spun her in circles until she pulled him into a giggly hug. 

[rinneganwritings]

Never Far Away; Chapter Nineteen: Boys Don't Cry

Word count: 3,035

Summary: Tamako spends more time training as Tsunade notices a change within her. Madara plans to get rid of his problem, and Itachi decides to help him with it.

Warnings: Canon typical violence, slight angst

Masterlist

In the following days, Tamako feels a little more confident with herself. She holds her head up high and walks more steadily. Even her training with Tsunade seems to be going more exceptionally well than usual. While Tsunade usually wouldn’t care, she’s a little curious. It would seem that Tamako went from depressed to shining star pupil within a matter of days.

“So, kiddo. Are you ready to train today?” Tsunade asks Tamako one day when they are in the lobby of the inn. Tamako is stretching, smiling and just full of pep.

“Of course! I can’t wait to get started.” Tamako expresses, while Tsunade gives Shizune a look.

Tsunade and Shizune head out the door a few steps behind Tamako, and they are both eager to discuss what might have changed Tamako’s behaviour. Just the other night, she was gloomy and down in the dumps. Now, only two days later, she’s bouncing on her toes and excited to train and smiling all the time.

“I think she saw him again,” Shizune mentions in a hushed tone.

“You’re not the only one who thinks that,” Tsunade says. She doesn’t want to stop Tamako from seeing the person she loves, but Itachi is a dangerous individual. He belongs to a terrorist organization.

They all arrive at the small clearing in the forest where they’ve been training the last few days. Tamako is already starting to use her kekkei genkai a little, just allowing the static to cloak her body. Tsunade watches the young woman and she notices something is different about her stance and posture. She’s holding herself differently, and Tsunade suspects something sexual might have happened during Tamako’s supposed latest encounter with Itachi.

Tamako’s chest sticks out more, and her legs are a little more apart. There’s something about it that seems a little more feminine and more womanly, and Tsunade thinks it means that Tamako had some sort of sexual encounter. Tsunade decides to keep this information to herself, as she doesn’t want to embarrass the young woman. She decides to inquire about it later when Shizune isn’t present.

Hours pass by, and it’s mid afternoon. Tsunade tells them both to pack up their stuff, and they were headed towards the next town over. It had a better bar, Tsunade claims. Shizune and Tamako groan softly, but they are both a little excited to hit the road. Besides, they’d be in the next town by sundown anyways.

Tamako found herself becoming even more excited. She knew it would be a new set of citizens to ask about the Akatsuki. She’s been keeping tabs on them since the night Itachi came to visit her. She knows she probably shouldn’t, but she can’t help herself. Her heart races every time she thinks of Itachi. Things are different now. He had shown her how much he loves her, and she couldn’t quit on him now. She had to pursue him and heal him. Tamako is willing to do just about anything to be with Itachi now. And now, she knows that he feels just about the same.

When the new town comes into view, Tamako finds herself eyeing the locals. She wants to get to know what kind of people they are by first glance. This town seems like a party town, so Tamako feels a little more confident about asking people for information on the Akatsuki.

“How’s this for a town, kiddo? This town has one of the best bars in all of the Land of Fire!” Tsunade exclaims, causing a few people to look their way.

What they don’t see is a pair of eyes blinking at them from the shadows. Tamako and Tsunade begin taking off down the road towards the bar, with Shizune in tow with Tonton. Shizune is cursing and sighing, but she knows it’ll all be worth it once she gets everyone checked in at the inn.

It doesn’t take long for both Tsunade and Tamako to be pulled back towards the inn when Shizune mentions the onsen. Tsunade makes a little joke about how the booze can wait, and Tamako watches the locals once more. She’s a little anxious about asking for intel behind Tsunade’s back, but she knows it’s worth it.

The room they rent is moderate in size, and the beds seem pretty comfortable. The three women decide to head over to the onsen before getting a drink at the bar. Tsunade notices that Tamako is acting a little more strange, but she decides that it must just be the fact that Tamako is a whole new town. Tsunade thinks that Tamako probably hasn’t traveled too much.

In the onsen, Tsunade and Tamako sit in one corner, with Shizune and Tonton facing the pair. It feels really good on the muscles, and there’s silence between all of them for a few moments. That’s before Tsunade pipes up.

“So, kiddo. What’s the deal with you these last few days?” Shizune gives Tsunade a deathglare, but Tamako doesn’t catch on.

“What do you mean, Tsuna?” Tamako asks, her heart pounding faster.

“You just seem so much cheerier. That’s all,” Tsunade looks deeply into Tamako’s eyes, hoping to find some sort of cue there.

Tamako smiles, “I just want this training to go well. I want to become someone people can be proud of,” Tamako lies expertly, but she’s still worried Tsunade could see right through her bluff.

Tsunade considers this answer for a moment, and she knows that Tamako is hiding something else, but she decides to not press too hard right now. Something like that could keep Tamako away, and it could literally shove her right into the arms of Itachi and into the clutches of the Akatsuki.

So, Tsunade lets it go. There’s no point in pressing Tamako for more information, though she figures it won’t take too much booze for Tamako to spill the beans. Tamako can be like that when she is drunk.

“I’m heading inside for the night. I’m super tired,” Shizune says, breaking the awkward silence.

“Good night, Shizune.” Tamako says, smiling sweetly.

“Night, Shizune.”

Then, more awkward silence. Tamako smiles at Tsunade, and Tsunade feels a little unnerved by it all. When she’s sure that Shizune has left, she moves in closer to Tamako.

“Are you sure it’s nothing but pride?” Tsunade asks, placing her arm on Tamako’s shoulder. “You can tell me if something happened,”

Tamako panics, and she really hopes it doesn’t show on her face. While she wants to tell Tsunade, she doesn’t want to implicate Itachi or have him in even more trouble. Tamako just shrugs, smiling wider.

“Hey, I promise you, there’s nothing else. I’m just really happy to have you as my sensei, alright?” Tamako figures her lie is solid by this point, and Tsunade just accepts it.

“Well, you’re doing really well, Tamako.” Tsunade says with a gentle sigh. She squeezes Tamako’s shoulder and laughs.

“Ready to get out of here and head towards the booze? If we stay in here any longer, we’ll turn into prunes.” Tsunade goads, and Tamako agrees.

Tamako has been feeling a little off lately. Things at home are a little stressful with Yumiko being her sensei. She’s been pushing Tamako to train hard, and so they’ve decided to spar. It’s a good way to get their feelings and stress off their chests, but also it keeps them fit and in shape.

Tamako allows her body to be slightly consumed by the static cloak, and she approaches Yumiko in a fighting stance that leaves very little for the opponent to exploit. Yumiko knows this stance, and yet she cannot find any weakness in it. She’s very proud of Tamako for having found the perfect fighting stance for her body.

There are very few spectators at the training grounds today, but Yumiko does spot Itachi. She knows that Tamako is showing off a little, but she’s also trying her best so that she won’t seem weak in front of Itachi.

There’s a flash of light when the two sisters clash, and Yumiko has her fists up to deflect whatever attack Tamako had planned. Tamako curses under her breath and goes for a low kick to the shins, while Yumiko is already weaving the signs she needs for the following jutsu.

“Wind style: Sudden Hurricane!” Yumiko yells, aiming directly at Tamako.

The air changes, and it becomes humid and violent, the winds whipping and forming a giant ball. It hits Tamako directly, but Tamako doesn’t falter too badly. She allows herself a moment of regaining her composure before jumping back to her feet.

Itachi watches with bated breath. He knows that Yumiko would never purposefully hurt Tamako, but he is worried that Tamako might get hurt somehow. He knows she’s a powerful kunoichi, but it’s just too worrisome to watch,

Yumiko stops all movement and walks over to Tamako. She extends her hand down to her sister, and Tamako grumbles before accepting the help. She’s all red-faced from having been beaten, but Itachi doesn’t care about that. He’s just glad to see that Tamako isn’t severely hurt from that jutsu.

He rushes over to the sisters, and Yumiko smiles at the young man. He’s been busy lately with joining the ANBU, and Yumiko knows that Tamako has been a little antsy about seeing him. Though they are young, Yumiko knows that they have a very strong bond. She figures as they grow up, they will probably fall in love with each other rather than this cute puppy dog love.

“Tamako, are you okay?” Itachi asks, looking at Tamako.

Tamako smirks as she rubs the back of her head nervously. Yumiko pretends that she’s not watching or listening, but she can’t help herself. She thinks that the pair is so cute like this.

“Yeah, I’m fine.” Tamako replies. Itachi brushes a stray hair from her face, and Tamako blushes. Yumiko is barely containing her excitement at these cute preteens.

Itachi leans towards Tamako, placing a gentle kiss to her cheek. Tamako is as red as a tomato at this point, and Yumiko is about to yell. It’s so darn cute to watch these kids.

“Hey, let’s go have some ramen. It’s on me!” Yumiko suggests allowing the awkwardness and cuteness to dissipate.

Tamako frowns at the idea of her sister joining them, but she figures it’s a good reason to be around Itachi anyway. They haven’t had much time to be around each other in so long, considering Itachi has joined the ANBU. Tamako wishes she could be just as strong as Itachi, but she isn’t quite there yet.

When they get to Ichiraku Ramen, Itachi sits next to Tamako and he’s got his arm wrapped around her waist. He just enjoys her company so much. He doesn’t want to have to be away from her so much, but he knows it’s important for him to be in the ANBU. He just wishes she could also be in the ANBU along with him, but he also knows it would be too much for her.

“So, you’re pretty young to be in the ANBU,” Yumiko starts, and Tamako gives her a dirty look.

“Actually, I’m not really supposed to be. I’ve been accepted because of my skills and abilities, though they wanted to lie about my age.” Itachi mentions, unsure of how to reply.

“Well, I hope you’re taking care of yourself. Tamako has been missing you a lot lately.” Yumiko says, chuckling slightly. At that, both Itachi and Tamako blush.

Yumiko cuts the tension by ordering everyone some ramen and then the conversation dies for a little while. There’s a gentle hum of the village in the air, and Itachi and Tamako stare deeply into each other’s eyes for a little while before Itachi snaps out of the lovesick trance.

“Having Kakashi senpai as my captain helps a lot. He’s very helpful and has made me feel welcome,” Itachi continues to explain. This time, Yumiko blushes at the mention of Kakashi. Tamako notices immediately.

“Yumiko, why are you blushing?” Tamako says teasingly, while Itachi picks up on the cue.

“Does my mention of Kakashi senpai worry you Yumiko?” Itachi asks, his tone slightly mocking. Yumiko frowns slightly, but she’s still blushing.

“It’s just a little hot out, okay?” Yumiko lies, but both preteens know better. They smirk at each other before continuing to tease Yumiko.

That was one of the last times that all three of them were together like that…

Madara paces slightly in the Akatsuki hideout. He tasked Zetsu with gaining more intel on Tamako. He was very intrigued, and especially since Itachi has been absent a little bit more than he usually would be, he’s worried that this girl may be a problem. If he’s going to recruit her, he’ll have to use Itachi to brainwash her. Though, he does know that Itachi isn’t going to be so willing to go that route.

Once Zetsu slithers into the hideout, Madara is waiting for him impatiently. It would seem that it took Zetsu a lot longer this time to return, but Madara figures he must have a good reason for being a little late. Madara watches Zetsu expectantly, and Zetsu blinks at him slowly.

“The girl is watching us. She’s been keeping tabs on us,” The white part states.

“She’s a spy, I’m telling you. This isn’t good. She needs to be taken care of right away.” Black Zetsu replies.

“A spy?” Madara asks, wondering of the consequences that could happen if he allows a spy to continue watching them.

“I suppose you are correct. We must deal with this as quickly as possible,”

Itachi listens to the conversation from the cover of darkness. He’s unable to react at the moment, as he doesn’t want to let on that he is there. He wonders what his next move should be. He wants to keep Tamako safe, but he knows that now he won’t be able to talk her out of following him.

All it was, was a moment of weakness. He was selfish, imprudent and not thinking clearly. He had been so damn weak. Tamako smelled so good, she was so warm and he wanted to hold her. Her eyes leaked a thousand tears, it had seemed. And yet, he loves her so much. He doesn't want to let her go, but he doesn’t want her to get hurt...or worse.

Itachi makes his presence known to both Zetsu and Madara. He needs to figure out a better way for them to deal with this slight oversight. Itachi will take care of the rest. He’s going to have to lie to Tamako, but it is to protect her. He can’t have Zetsu and Madara do anything to her.

“Let me handle it, Madara.” Itachi mentions it, and Madara looks over to him.

“Are you capable of dealing with this problem or should I have someone do it instead?” Madara asks, and Itachi doesn’t react.

“I will take care of it.”

“Very well. I trust you can do something about this.”

Itachi nods, and he walks out of the room. He’s not sure how to properly fix this, but he knows it won’t take him long to figure something out. He’s intelligent and resourceful. The only thing that’s hindering him at the moment is the fact that he truly is in love with Tamako.

Her smile, her smell, the way she always wants the best for him...and now he’s taken her virginity. It’s almost like it was meant to be for them, but luck would have it that they’d be star crossed lovers. It was almost impossible to keep up a relationship like this, and especially with Madara and Zetsu feeling antsy about the whole situation.

Itachi longs for better days. He knows he doesn’t have much longer, especially with this illness ravaging his body. The medicine will only work for a little while before he needs to find stronger stuff. Then one day, he will absolutely lose control of his body and with his usage of the Sharingan, he’ll be blind as well. He’s even noticed that lately things have been a little fuzzy around the edges in his vision.

He hates the life that’s ahead of him. He wants to end all this facade and find Tamako. She’s the only person who could ever bring a smile to his face. He’s not even sure if he can lie to her this time. Not after making love to her. It’s just tough to have somebody like this when you’re a rogue ninja.

Itachi ponders the pros and cons of running away with her. He’d be putting her in peril, but he wants to be with her so badly. He wants a quiet life where she is his doting wife, but that he showers her with affection and love daily. It could be so damn good.

“Hey, Itachi!” Kisame calls out to him. Itachi shakes out of his thoughts and walks over to the shinobi.

“I heard you're taking on a new mission, mind if I join you?” Kisame asks, and Itachi wonders if it’s a good idea. Then again, Kisame might help him be able to lie to Tamako.

“That’s fine with me, Kisame. It’s a bit of a personal matter,” Itachi says.

Kisame smiles, “Oh, the little brother, huh?” Itachi shakes his head.

“It’s a different kind of personal, Kisame. It’s someone who I hold dear to me in a different way,” Itachi isn’t sure if he’s going to want to tell everything to Kisame, but he figures he should let on a little bit about Tamako.

“Oh! A lover huh?! This should be most interesting, then,” Kisame says as he follows Itachi out of the hideout.

“It’s going to be difficult. I’m going to have to be tough this time,”

Kisame laughs, “When aren’t you tough? You are as cool as a cucumber, my friend.” Itachi chuckles slightly.

“Right you are, Kisame.”

They both take off in the direction of Tamako, and Itachi can feel his heartbreak with every step they take. It’s just becoming too much for him, but he knows he has to go through with it.

[depressedkakashihatake]

kakayama, hospital, blood, migraine

((yes im in an angsty mood))

(Fair warning, you asked for angst and i think i delivered. That heart of yours? Ya, say goodbye to it XD)

AO3 Link

  Consciousness is an experience created by the most talented interrogators. The kind of people that can bring pain to a person’s life without lifting a finger.

               And pain is exactly what Tenzo felt when he drifted back to consciousness. A searing, screaming pain that started somewhere in the right side of his brain and emitted outwards.

               It felt like someone was trying to drill down into his brain. The pain was so bad that even with his eyes closed he felt like he was going to vomit.

               “Cat,” a voice calls beside him, hands coming down on his shoulders to stop him when he tries to curl into himself. “Cat, calm down please. You’ll rip the needle out of your arm if you’re not careful.”

               Needle?

               Cracking one eye open, Tenzo hissed when a blinding light hit his retina and made the already unbearable migraine a thousand times worse. He didn’t even see who it was trying to talk to him, or where he was, before he was forced to close his eyes again to block out the light.

               “Lights!” The voice beside him called out to someone else, followed swiftly by the sound of movement. “It’s ok Cat, you’re safe. You’re at Konoha general hospital.”

               Konoha?

               How had he gotten back to Konoha when the only memory he can bring up past the excruciating pain in his head is his mission.

               Two days.

               They were still two days away from Konoha when Kakashi-senpai sensed someone closing in on them.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

               “Tenzo,” Kakashi stopped suddenly, his eyes searching the area around them. “We have visitors.”

               The tone in Kakashi’s voice tells him that whoever the visitors are they’re not friendly. Moving into a defensive position, he watched as his Senpai scanned the area. Searching out where exactly their enemy was.

               “Behind!” they both acted at the same time. Tenzo weaving his hands with ease and slamming them into the ground to produce a wooden wall in front of them just as an enemy came out of the bushes with their weapon drawn.

               While Tenzo’s wall slowed them down Kakashi burst out from the side and went straight for the attack. When he heard the clash of steel, Tenzo lowered the wall and started to weave signs for another Mokuton, this time intent on protecting his Senpai and helping him win the fight as quickly as possible.

               Unfortunately, it seemed that their enemy was fast. Before he could finish his jutsu he found himself faced with a second shinobi directly in front of him, and their fist hit him square in the jaw Hard.

               Enough to send him flying backwards into the ground.

               “Tenzo!” Kakashi’s voice is distant, and for some reason Tenzo feels like he had just been hit by a cart. His head is spinning from just the one punch.

               “Are we fighting Gai?” He groaned, bringing a hand up to his head as the world spins around him. “That’s not…that’s not fair…”

               If he had known he was fighting someone fast and incredible strong, he would have reacted appropriately. Instead they hid behind their partner and waited for him to be mid jutsu to attack. It was rude.

               “Are you alright?” Opening his eyes, Tenzo looked up to see his Senpai standing directly in front of him. He wasn’t sure when exactly Kakashi had gotten there, or even how he had gotten past the enemy to be able to protect Tenzo like this, but he certainly appreciated it.

               “Fine just…need a moment…” His head was splitting. For one hit the enemy sure had done a lot of damage to his ability to think or focus.

               A minute wasn’t something that was granted to him. Before he could even hope to recoup, Tenzo found himself face to face with the same bastard who had hit him. Somehow, the slick bastard had gotten past Kakashi.

               Guarding himself was the only option he had. There was no time to weave signs for a jutsu, and there was already a fist flying towards his face so grabbing his weapon was out of the question. His arms surged up, getting between the enemies fist and his face just in time. Unfortunately, that same sheer strength was waiting behind the enemies attack.

               Tenzo screamed when he felt his bone crack under the pressure.

               “Get away!” A foot came crashing against the enemies head, sending him flying off to the side.

               Staggering backwards, Tenzo watched as his Senpai took position in front of him once again. This time leaving no space for anyone to get behind him. How he had managed to land a hit on such a fast bastard Tenzo would never know.

               “It’s something in the air,” Kakashi’s voice is calm even in this situation. “Something slowing us down.”

               Damn it. No wonder he couldn’t keep up to the bastard.

               “Just stay down, Tenzo,” Kakashi orders. “I’ll get us out of here.”

               He’s about to protest. Scream that he can protect himself and help get them out of this alive. That he doesn’t need protection.

               He doesn’t get a chance.

               Before he can even open his mouth there’s an attack headed their way, and Kakashi’s guarding him with his whole body. Every muscle in his body screams to move. To grab Kakashi’s uniform and pull him out of the way.

               As soon as he tries to move, though, his head starts spinning. Sending him crashing back to his knees and forcing him to sit there. Forcing him to do nothing as Kakashi meets the attack head on with his own, and to watch as the enemies attack cuts through Kakashi like butter.

               There’s blood everything.

               He can feel it on his face.

               Tastes it on his lips.

               And he can see it everywhere. Staining the ground in front of him.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

               Tenzo surged upright in his bed, his eyes scanning the room franticly for any sign of Kakashi. Searching desperately for his team captain.

               His best friend.

               That reckless, selfless, idiot that he couldn’t force himself to stop loving with all of his heart no matter how hard he tried.

               A hand came down on his shoulder, pulling his attention over to his side. He hopes it’s Kakashi. Wishes that it was Kakashi and he could stop worrying so he can lay down and close his eyes again. Block out that little bit of light that dug deep into his eyes and set his brain on fire.

               He’s disappointed to find himself face to face with fox instead. A hard, concentrated look on the thirteen year old’s face.

               “Senpai,” there’s panic in his voice, but for once he doesn’t care. He needs to know. Even if the answer will break his heart. “Fox, tell me that Senpai made it back with me.”

               Fox’s face softens, but he can’t tell if that’s good or bad. If he’s about to be told something that will shatter him, or heal his already aching heart.

               “Hound was the one who brought you home,” that’s good. That means Kakashi made it back. He had survived the battle and dragged both of them home, even after getting hit. “He was in bad shape. The doctors are surprised he was able to walk at all, but Gai-san said it was because he wanted to get you home safe. To keep his promise.”

               There’s information missing from Fox’s explanation. Not once did he say whether or not Kakashi was still alive. All he had done was confirm that he had made it back home with Tenzo.

               “Tell me he’s alive,” his words are met with a sad look, and suddenly every bit of pain he had been feeling in his head is drowned out by a crushing sorrow. “Fox…please…”

               “He’s not…dead,” Itachi winces when the words leave his mouth. Tenzo’s heart shatters when he hears the way Itachi says it. That hopeless, sad tone of voice he’s using. “But, he’s not…the doctors aren’t sure he’ll…”

               He doesn’t finish his sentence. There’s no need for him to. Tenzo understands immediately what he’s trying to say.

               The hopeless of the situation sinks in, and slowly the pounding migraine starts to come back. Finding a common ground with his broken heart to ensure it wasn’t just his soul that was in pain.

               “They’re trying, cat,” Itachi reached out and placed a hand over his, not mentioning the tears that had started to roll down Tenzo’s cheeks. “And you know how stubborn he can be. He’ll make it. I’m sure of it.”

               The words are reassuring, but the voice gives away Itachi’s real feelings. The sense of lose deep down inside of his gut as he processes what might happen.

               Tenzo doesn’t have the strength to hide away like Itachi, though. Maybe it’s because he has known Kakashi longer. Or perhaps it’s because he loves Kakashi so deeply. The man who took his hand and pulled him out of Root into a better life. A calmer, more accepting life.

               Itachi’s losing a friend and mentor.

               Tenzo’s losing the love of his life.

               Their pain is in no way similar, and Tenzo knows that for a fact because there’s not a tear on Itachi’s face while he’s unable to keep them from falling.

[sinemoras09]

Crash pad excerpt

How Obito becomes Hokage. (Background: everyone was accidentally resurrected after the war and Obito and Madara were put under surveillance.) I combined several ficlets here. @innovativestruggles

Note: this is a sequel to the fan comic birdsong, where Hashirama is a woman. In this fic she and Madara had gotten married and had kids. Also, Rin isn’t resurrected yet. Obito is living by himself.

-----

1.

"Apparently I'm cursed to be surrounded by idiots," Madara says, when he sees that once again he's being chaperoned by Gai and Naruto.

"Yo!" Naruto says, and Gai gives him a hearty salute. Madara sighs heavily.

They walk down the forest path, Gai spouting ridiculous platitudes while the Uzumaki brat laughs and nods excitedly. It makes sense that he's paired up with them: Might Gai was the only shinobi who managed to injure him, and the Naruto kid's strength rivaled that of the current generations' kage - which doesn't say much, but the fact remains.

"Oh, look! It's Kakashi-sensei! And look, there's my dad!" Naruto says, and Madara looks up and sees Obito being similarly chaperoned, flanked by Kakashi and Minato as they walk toward them.

"Yo," Kakashi says, as they pass. Minato's eyes close into pleasant half-moons as he smiles at Naruto. Obito keeps staring straight ahead of them.

Madara sighs. Somehow it's even more depressing seeing his protégé similarly neutered.

"Yo, Bushy-Eyebrows-sensei! We should do push-ups after the mission, dattebayo!"

Madara glances up at Obito. Obito shrugs.

*****

2.

Uchiha Obito wakes before his alarm.

He shuts off the clock radio, then pads barefoot toward the bathroom. The sun hasn't risen yet, and everything is shaded in a blue-gray hue outside. Silently Obito opens the medicine cabinet and methodically shakes open his medications - an antidepressant, a migraine prophylactic, and a pain pill for the lingering neuropathy he has in his face, arm, and leg. Closing the medicine cabinet, he looks briefly at his face in the mirror before dry-swallowing the pills, grimacing a bit before turning on the tap of running water.

"Yo," Kakashi says. He's waiting for Obito outside the apartment steps. Obito walks down the metal grated stairs, wearing the standard shinobi flak jacket in Konoha's colors. He doesn't wear the forehead protector, though - it feels dishonest and it makes him slightly uncomfortable.

"What's today's mission?" Obito says.

"VIP escort to the Fire Kingdom's periphery. Easy enough. Sensei is going to meet us at the gate."

They hitch their packs and walk.

The sun is starting to rise, its pale rays starting to peek over the lingering shadows. Minato is there, and he gives them a cheerful wave as they join him.

They called it a second life. Second chance, new beginnings. A way to redeem themselves; a miracle. Whatever it is, Obito has adjusted to his new life in the village. Even if his crimes were forgiven, he still has a need for atonement.

*****

His throat tightened the first time he spoke to Sensei in the village.

"Sensei, forgive me," Obito said, and his voice cracked. "I can never forgive myself for what I did, for hurting your wife and child. I understand if hate me. I can't help but hate myself."

Kakashi watched. Minato stood, the slight spring breeze catching his hair. He smiled and patted Obito on the shoulder.

"Water under the bridge," Minato said. Obito lifted his eyes.

"Sensei?"

Minato's eyes closed into two happy crescents: "I know Kushina would be the first to offer forgiveness, and my child is already grown, and quite fond of you."

Obito's eyes grew shiny with tears. "Sensei--"

Kakashi clapped Obito's back. "You always were a stupid crybaby."

And Obito laughed, wiping his eyes.

Now the three of them are a team - a formal team of equals, no longer tasked with watching him. He's accepted as a part of the village - people smile when they greet him and no one is afraid of him. "This doesn't feel right," Obito had said to Kakashi, in a low voice. "By all rights, the villagers should shun me after what I did."

Kakashi sighed. "I think you need to go up on that antidepressant," Kakashi said.

*****

They call themselves Team Minato, just like they did during their genin days.

They work their jutsus in tandem, Kakashi flanking their target on one side while Obito runs toward the other. One blink, and Obito's kamui swirls, Minato flash-stepping beside them and neutralizing the threat.

Afterwards, they sit at the base of a tree, eating a few rice balls and sharing a canteen of water. Obito is screwing back on the cap when a thought suddenly occurs to him. "Sensei?"

Minato looks up. "Yeah?"

"I just realized, Sensei. Physically we're all the same age."

"You just now figured that out?" Kakashi says, and Minato laughs. Obito glares and blushes.

"It was just an observation," Obito says. He tosses a stick on the ground and puts away his canteen.

They're coming back from the mission, Kakashi and Minato and Obito, and as they trudge heavily through the forest path toward Konoha, they see the shape of another three-person team walking toward them: Naruto and Hashi and Uchiha Madara.

"Look, it's my dad!" Naruto says, and Minato waves at them.

"Hello," Hashi says to Kakashi. Kakashi nods.

"Yo."

Obito's eyes track toward Madara's. Madara looks back at him stonily.

"Yeesh, that guy is really intense, isn't he?" Kakashi says, after they pass.

"Who?" Minato says.

"Uchiha Madara. Who else?"

Obito tosses a rock, walking a little ahead of them.

"You okay, Obito?" Kakashi asks. Minato looks at him, worried.

"I'm fine," Obito says. He keeps walking. "C'mon. We're almost home."

******

3.

Iruka sits behind his desk, folding his hands in front of him.

"So, as you know, your daughter has finished her first month of kindergarten, and," Iruka takes a moment, keeps his voice calm and measured, "there are some things we need to discuss."

"What is it?" Hashi says. She is sitting in the chair provided in front of Iruka's desk, but Madara has opted to keep standing, his arms crossed and a pinched look on his face. Iruka's eyes dart quickly toward him before turning back to Hashirama.

"Well," Iruka says. "Your daughter is...very advanced."

"Splendid. What is the problem?" Madara says.

"Ah, Madara-san, perhaps...perhaps if you just sit down...?"

Madara's eyes narrow. "I prefer to stand."

"Okay." Iruka rubs his neck nervously. "Well. The young lady is, ah. Is rather intimidating for a five-year-old her age...."

"Intimidating, how?" Hashi says. Iruka takes a breath.

"Well...she used her Sharingan against the faculty a number of times; she used her Rinnegan against a group of upper level students who were learning bunshin jutsus, and apparently she has beat up two genin who were preparing to take their chuunin exams."

"Splendid!" Madara says, while Hashi starts, "What?" Iruka clears his throat.

"As I said, your little girl is very advanced," Iruka says.

"Excellent. So we pull her out of this class and let her take the chuunin exams. I agree with this assessment," Madara says.

"Now hold on, she is still only five years old, mentally and emotionally, she's a kindergartner, so--"

"It is my understanding you people had children as young as four years old fight in the Third Shinobi War, unless I am mistaken," Madara says.

Iruka hesitates, "Well, Uchiha Itachi, like your daughter, was a special case, so--"

"So what is the problem?"

"Anata." Hashi turns around in her chair. "Just come sit down."

Madara glowers. He pulls out the chair and sits heavily, glaring at Iruka. If looks could kill - and on a normal day, Madara's can and does - Iruka would be completely annihilated right now. But because his wife is urging restraint, Madara keeps himself in check. He sits back in the chair and crosses his arms.

"So we have a choice," Iruka says. "We can either pull her out of the classroom now and assign her to a genin team, or we keep her where she is, so she can continue to develop socially."

"Pull her out," Madara says, while Hashi says, "Keep her where she is." They glance at each other. Iruka laughs nervously.

"Well, you two take some time to talk about it. No one needs to come to a decision, now."

*****

"I'm just worried," Hashi says. It's nighttime now, and they're walking down the street, heading back to the house. "The whole point of starting the village was to protect our children from unnecessary harm. Genin go out on real missions, there won't be anyone to protect her if she's in danger."

"She won't be in danger, genin do not do anything," Madara says. "The most she'll do is rescue pets or help frail civilians cross the street. She won't even leave the village."

"Aren't most genin around twelve years old, though? She's five. Those kids are going through puberty. What if they exclude her?"

"Then they will learn to fear and respect her."

"I don't think that's a good plan," Hashi says. They get to the house and open the door.

"Nii-san!"

Madara starts, "Izuna?!"

Their daughter is laughing, pinning Izuna to the wall with her ocular powers, her little brothers giggling by her feet. She looks up and sees them. Her face brightens.

"Mommy! Daddy!" She jumps up and runs toward them. Izuna drops to the ground.

Madara leans toward Hashi. "Hashirama, are you still concerned about those kids going through puberty?" Hashi shakes her head.

"I guess not."

*****

4.

Madara and his daughter are hiding in the bushes, watching a merchant rearranging apples on his fruit stand. Madara points.

"Look well, daughter. You see that man over there?"

"Yes, Daddy?"

"He insulted your father gravely. Let us practice your katons to show him."

"Okay, Daddy!"

She starts weaving her hand seals.

"You set fire to his fruit stand?!" Hashi says, while their daughter laughs and Madara stands, arms crossed, aloof and disaffected.

"Do not worry, Hashirama. She only set the sign on fire."

****

"Why were you throwing rocks at our child?!" Hashi says.

Madara holds up his hands. "I was teaching her to dodge, so that she is not so dependent on the Sharingan."

"By throwing rocks at her?! Knives? Shuriken?!"

"Calm yourself, Hashirama, I would not use weapons against her if I weren't confident she'd survive."

Hashi crosses her arms. "I don't think you should be talking about our daughter 'surviving' your training," Hashi says. Madara frowns.

"Need I remind you, Hashirama, there are jounin not even half her skill level being thrown into mortal peril at all times. I fail to see how she's in any danger from a few loose rocks."

"Can't you just skip stones by the river with her? Practice her katons against wooden targets instead of people?"

"I fail to see the utility in that."

"Ugh."

"More to the point, Hashirama, I'm concerned you're growing soft. We lived in an era of constant war. You are coddling our children."

Hashi looks around. "Wait a minute, where are the babies?" she says.

Madara cocks his head to the side, where she sees the baby and the toddler playing with their toys inside his Susanoo. "I would have left them with weapons, but you told me not to," Madara says.

*****

5.

At the base of the river, an Uchiha child toddles forward. There is something shiny in the riverbank, and the child is curious. He reaches his chubby hands into the water.

Something yanks him backward, and the baby's little legs stumble. He lands squarely on his butt. The baby looks around, confused, then looks up. His face brightens. He reaches his little arms upward.

"What the hell am I looking at?" Obito says, as Madara picks up the toddler from across the river.

Obito is sitting next to Kakashi across the other side of the river, watching with growing disbelief as Uchiha Madara herds his children; one is strapped to his chest while the other one toddles around with a baby leash. Occasionally, he will toddle a little too far, and Madara will yank him backward.

"Have you seen his daughter?" Kakashi asks, and as if on cue, the little girl comes barreling down the trail, shrieking and laughing. There is smoke coming from behind the bushes and they both realize she has set something on fire. "He's practically a house husband," Kakashi says. He stretches, then leans against the tree comfortably. "Tsunade won't let him go on any missions."

"Why?" Obito says. Kakashi shrugs.

"Not trustworthy. And besides, Hashi-san herself is worth the strength of an entire platoon of nin. If something of that magnitude needs to be done, they'd rather just send her in."

"That doesn't anger him?" Obito watches as Madara shepherds his children away from the river. The toddler starts throwing a tantrum: Obito and Kakashi watch as Madara simply genjutsus him.

"I don't think so," Kakashi says, as Madara picks up the toddler the way he would a sack of flour, carrying both babies while his daughter follows him. "I think he actually enjoys it."

"Actually enjoys terrorizing the civilians in the village," Obito says. "I heard he set a local fruit stand on fire."

*****

6.

"She's too powerful. I don't think she should be training with the other genin." The genin team leader, a Nara jounin, is sitting in front of Iruka and Tsunade. A sweat drop forms on the Nara jounin's forehead.

"Powerful, how?" Tsunade says. The Nara jounin swallows.

"Well. The span of her katon is easily the the same width and breadth of an entire fleet of nin. She's so proficient in taijutsu, she's inadvertently nearly killed the other genin. She's turned playground equipment into weapons and when I tried subduing her with my shadow technique, she overwhelmed it with chakra and broke free. And this is without her even using her Sharingan."

"Oh," Tsunade says. "I see." She and Iruka glance at each other.

It had been a compromise: three days a week, Madara's daughter would stay with her kindergarten class, while on the other days she would go train with a genin team. The team was a typical one, three rookie genin and a jounin instructor, and Madara's daughter was allowed to tag along with them on missions.

"What should we do?" Iruka says. He and Tsunade go over potential other jounin instructors, people with ocular powers who could easily subdue her. "The Hyuuga can't seem to handle her, and all the genin are afraid of her."

Tsunade crosses her arms, leaning back in her chair. "I think I know what to do," Tsunade says.

*****

Kakashi, Obito, and Minato stare at the little girl waving in front of them. "Hello!" she says. "My Sensei says I can come and train with you!"

Kakashi and Minato don't skip a beat. "Hello, ojou-chan. How old are you?"

She holds up five fingers. "Five!" she says. She holds up her dolly. "This is my dolly! She has a pink dress! Can she come train too?"

"You have got to be kidding," Obito says. Kakashi elbows him in the ribs.

*****

7.

"YOOOOOOOOOSH! Get ready for the ultimate team! Me and Fuzzy Eyebrows Sensei and Old Man Madara, dattebayo!"

"Once again, in the springtime of youth!" Gai says, and he and Naruto chest bump each other.

Madara stares at them. "I am in hell," Madara says.

*****

Of all the indignities he must suffer, this by far is the worst. It also confirms Madara's suspicions that Obito was a consummate idiot, letting himself, a thirty-year-old man, be talked down by a sixteen-year-old with next to no life experience. That Uchiha Madara, the strongest shinobi alive, second only to Senju Hashirama, is being forced to be chaperoned by said sixteen-year-old is an affront to his senses.

"Sensei!" Lee's face is a waterfall of tears and snot, his lower lip trembling and his buggy eyes streaming. "Why can't I be on your team, Sensei?!"

"Worry not, my adorable pupil!" Gai throws an arm around Lee. "After this mission, we will continue to train!"

"Alright! I got the snacks, dattebayo! And the map, and the mission objectives, and--" Naruto pats his pockets. "Oh crap! Where are the mission objectives?!"

Madara gives them a withering look and holds up the pamphlet. Gai grabs it from him. "Ha ha! Looks like our resident grumpy grump is contributing!"

"Touch me and you will lose that hand," Madara says, just as Gai is about to clap him on the back. Gai and Naruto look at each other.

*****

"Madara-ojiichan. How come you're always in a bad mood, dattebayo?"

Naruto is walking with his hands behind his head, while Gai is running around in circles around them, counting reps and punching the air. Madara gives Naruto a pointed look. "You really need me to answer that question?"

"Is it 'cuz you miss your kids? 'Cuz I heard from Kakashi-sensei that you're pretty much a house husband, and--"

"Do the both of you wish to die? Because I can make that a reality," Madara says.

Gai starts shadow boxing. Madara glares.

*****

8.

There is a meeting discussing who will succeed Tsunade as the Sixth Hokage. A few names float around: Might Gai. Hatake Kakashi. A scribe writes their names on a white board while the council discusses the formal nominations.

"What about Uchiha Obito."

They turn. Madara is leaning against a wall at the entrance of the conference room, arms crossed and covered in shadow.

"Madara." The elders look at each other. "You were not invited to this council."

"I had a hand in the founding of this village. Well. You invited neither myself nor Hashirama, so I suppose I can't be too insulted."

The elders frown at each other. "Uchiha Obito has committed many atrocities. He was an S-class nin and kage-level threat. He was the one who put in motion the Fourth Shinobi War."

"And it was my understanding he sacrificed himself to end it," Madara says. "Well. I am not surprised. Council idiots would never put an Uchiha to power."

"Madara-sama, a moment--"

But Uchiha Madara is already gone.

*****

Obito is coming back from a mission. It's dark now, and he slowly walks up the metal grate steps to his apartment. He's tired and his body hurts, and all he wants to do is go to sleep after a long, hot shower.

"Obito," Tsunade says, and Obito stops, surprised.

"Tsunade-sama?"

Tsunade smiles. She hands him some papers.

"I have need to speak with you."

*****

"Hokage?" Kakashi turns sharply. Obito is hunched over the bar, a drink in his hand and staring at his glass. "They've nominated you for Hokage?" Obito nods. "Obito...congratulations."

Obito lifts his eyes. Kakashi is beaming beneath his mask. Obito looks back down at his drink.

"I think I'm going to refuse it."

"Why?" Kakashi says, and Obito swirls his drink. He watches the amber liquid swirl, his reflection distorted in the glass.

"Whoever is Fire Shadow is sworn to protect the people of this village." Obito sets down his drink. "I was the one who set the Kyuubi loose. I was the one who nearly destroyed it."

Kakashi falls silent for a moment. And then, "Have you told Sensei?"

"I am too ashamed. I don't want him to know about it." Obito's voice is soft. He doesn't look at him.

Kakashi frowns. "I think you should talk to Sensei," Kakashi says. Obito hunches over the bar, not saying anything. Kakashi shifts forward.

"How long did they give you to make a decision?"

"Until the end of the month," Obito says. His eyes flick upward. "I was told if I refused, the title of Sixth Hokage would go to you."

Kakashi blinks. Obito pours himself another drink. "So," Obito says. He sets down his bottle. "Do you still think I should take it?"

There is the clinking of glass in the background, the sound of a wooden fan turning above them. Kakashi considers.

"Yes," Kakashi says, and his eyes meet Obito's.

"I really think you should."

*****

9.

There aren't any other missions scheduled, but Obito doesn't enjoy his days off. While Kakashi is buying erotic fiction and Minato is hanging out with his kid, Obito has nowhere to go other than the training grounds, honing his techniques and thinking of ways to teach their little teammate more about the Sharingan.

"You mean Madara isn't training her?" Kakashi is sitting on a fence, watching as Obito tries to come up with ways to use Mangekyou without hurting her. Obito kicks a post, a simple side kick, but keeps his leg mid-air, holding the kata in perfect formation.

"Apparently he told her not to use her Sharingan because she has a tendency to overuse it." He slowly lowers his leg, then straightens. "I believe she goes straight to the Mangekyou and the Rinnegan because she doesn't have as firm a grasp on the basics."

"You mean genjutsu and enhanced perception?"

"Correct." Obito twists his body in another slow sideways kick. He punches. "I suspect she's had the Sharingan so long, she has taken for granted its own set of powers. And Madara is too used to using his Mangekyou and his Rinnegan, it is probably difficult for him to dumb it down."

"Hmm." Kakashi leans back, crossing his arms. "You really do make a good teacher. If you never got crushed by that rock, maybe you would have gotten a teaching job like Iruka."

Obito spins and kicks the post again. Kakashi hops off the fence.

"So," Kakashi says. "Have you decided what you're going to do about the Hokage thing, yet?"

Another kick. "I told you. I'm probably going to refuse it."

Kakashi sighs, loudly. "If you're worried you're interfering with some long-seated dream of mine, let me assure you, you're not. I'd only accept the position of Hokage out of an ingrained sense of duty."

A kick. "I doubt the villagers would accept me."

"The villagers don't know what's going on half the time. You'd have to worry about the other shinobi."

Kick. "Thank you for reminding me."

Kakshi tilts his head. "You know, Obito, I used to call you a crybaby elite and make fun of you, but even before you woke the Sharingan, you weren't bad. I was even jealous of your katons."

"What is this? Rare praise from Hatake Kakashi?" Kick. "Of course I wasn't bad. I was just a part of a clan of geniuses, teamed up with the top genin of our class. Anyone would look bad in comparison."

Spin, spin, kick. The post bends. Obito turns. "That took me the better part of twenty years to realize that. A shame I nearly had to end the world in order to do that." He looks at Kakashi's bag. "Another ero novel?"

"Oh yes." Kakashi holds up the book. "This one's called 'Kisses for my Lover.' I hear the plot's derivative but the smut scenes are phenomenal."

"You know most men would rather just watch porn instead of reading it."

"I prefer to use my imagination."

"Hm."

*****

The sun is starting to set, and the village is bathed in a deep, rich orange.

Obito goes to the drugstore to refill his medications. Antidepressant. Pain pill. Migraine prophylaxis. Recently he's been having panic attacks, so his doctor started prescribing Xanax. "It's likely PTSD from the rock falling in that cave," the civilian psychiatrist said. She wrote Obito the prescription. "If you take it, avoid operating heavy machinery. Don't take it with alcohol or mix it with other medications."

Obito walks out of the drug store, clutching his bags.

*****

Nighttime. Obito sits over the table and quickly eats a store-bought bento, sitting in the dark and watching the small television in the corner. It's a movie, some romantic comedy where the plucky heroine goes off to find herself in a small town. Invariably she's engaged to some jerk businessman, but she finds true love in the neighborhood lumberjack she meets after leaving the city.

This annoys him. This isn't love, it's infatuation, and what about her poor fiancé sitting in the city? Why do the writers have to bend over backwards to make him a jerk? Obito frowns at his bento box, then takes a swig of beer.

There is something lurking in the shadows outside.

Obito's eyes narrow. Slowly, he stands up, lowering the volume of the television. There is the sound of something clattering, and Obito strides quickly to his bedroom.

In the dark, the window is open. The light curtains move ominously in the breeze.

There is a weapons rack across the bed, and silently Obito backs up and palms a kunai in his hand. Gripping the handle, Obito carefully edges back out into the hallway.

A black shape darts out, and Obito whirls around.

Obito lunges toward him and attacks, an explosion of power. The man blocks, once, twice, then whacks Obito across the face. There is a sickening crack as the man's fist makes contact, but Obito jerks forward, dodging the next blow and spinning into a kick.

Punch, punch, kick. The man flips Obito over but Obito catches himself, springing back upward and vaulting into a flying kick through the air.

Contact. The man staggers. Obito whirls around and punches hard, once, twice, the third time he misses, the man dodging and hitting him square in the jaw. They stagger into the kitchen, where it's too dark to see. Obito's Sharingan flares. He dodges, lunges forward. The thin light from the movie pulses in the background.

Slam! He shoves a kunai against the assailant's neck, slamming him against the wall.

Obito's heart is thudding fast. Who was this? Was someone trying to assassinate him? He feels his throat constrict, the weight of a thousand boulders strangling him.

He's on the verge of another panic attack.

Obito's jaw tightens. He struggles to keep control, forces himself to slow his breathing. He grips the kunai harder.

And then, his assailant slowly starts to laugh.

"Splendid! Splendid! I should expect nothing less from the man who lived as Uchiha Madara!"

Obito pulls back, shocked. In the dark he hadn't recognized him. Madara's face splits into a slow grin.

"However," a black rod slowly worms out from Madara's arm, then presses menacingly against Obito's stomach, "once again, you have left yourself undefended."

Madara gives him a small poke, then retracts, raising his hands to show him. "Don't get too full of yourself," Madara says. "If I wanted to kill you, I already would have."

Obito lowers his kunai and the two men straighten. Obito's eyes narrow. "What do you want?"

"You are my daughter's teacher," Madara says. "It is only natural that I would want to see you."

On the TV, the heroine coos. "Oh! I never knew what love is until I met you!"

"I heard you were the one behind the Hokage nomination." Obito switches off the TV, flipping on the light. He turns back to Madara. "Why?" Obito says. Madara shrugs.

"I have children in this village," Madara says. "You could say I have a vested interest." Madara looks around. "A bento for one? How pathetic. If I had known you'd have such difficulties finding a partner, I wouldn't have worked so hard to kill your precious Rin."

Obito grabs Madara by the collar and slams him against the wall. "Why?" Obito says. "Why me? Why Hokage? What is it you're trying to do?"

Madara smirks. "It is a shame you have to ask."

"You're trying to find a way to manipulate them."

"Hm."

"What did you do?" Obito says. "Genjutsu them? Use mind-control to manipulate them?"

"I did nothing of the sort," Madara says. He pushes off Obito's arm and dusts off his shirt. "I merely gave them your name. Those simpletons at the council came to the same conclusion." Madara looks around. "This is your apartment?" Obito's eyes narrow.

"What's it to you?"

"It is a bit small, is it not?"

Obito glares.

"I mean no offense. I just remember you not being overly fond of too-small spaces."

"Just tell me what you want," Obito says. Madara turns.

"You've grown strong," Madara says. He looks Obito over. "I'd like to think I had a hand in it." Madara's eyes track over to the grocery bag of medications sitting on the desk.

Obito knows, without Madara having to say anything, that Madara is using his Sharingan to read the medications. Obito stalks over to the desk and grabs the bag.

"Let me spare you the trouble," Obito says, and he dumps the contents of the bag onto the table. "This is an antidepressant. This one is an anxiolytic. This one is for migraines and this one is for the shooting pains I still get in my face and limbs."

"Is that all?" Madara says. "And here I thought you were overly medicated."

"You manipulated me and tried to kill me. I was just a child. And you were a fucking psychotic old man--"

"You make it sound as if I somehow violated you. All I did was give you one small push - I did not inspire anything that wasn't already there."

"Killing Rin was not 'one small push'," Obito says. Madara spreads his hands.

"Agree to disagree, then," Madara says. "Believe it or not, Obito, I believed her death could be negated, so long as we stuck to the plan." Madara turns. His eyes flick upward.

"The world was imperfect," Madara says. "We both wanted the same thing. And if it meant eternal peace, it was a burden we both were willing to bear."

"So even now, you don't regret it?" Obito says. Madara sighs.

"I regret that it was what neither you nor I had wanted," Madara says. He picks up a bottle of medication, glancing at the label, before setting it down again. "I do not regret the original plan."

Obito scoffs. "That's not what I hear you told Hashirama."

"I tell Hashirama a lot of things. It is her own fault if she chooses to believe them." Madara looks around. "Do you have sake in this sorry place, or should we procure it elsewhere?"

Obito scowls. He moves swiftly to the other side of the kitchen and brings out a bottle.

"Ah," Madara says. "Good." He pours himself and Obito a drink."You asked me why I had them nominate you. The answer is quite simple. The Hokage is supposed to be the strongest shinobi in the village. You are my protégé and one of the few Uchiha left. If it is a matter of strength, then the answer is clear."

Madara sets down the bottle, pushing the glass toward Obito. "But you're right to question if I have an ulterior motive, and I do. I'm doing this for my children," Madara says. Obito knits his brow.

"Your children?" Obito says.

"My children are Uchiha in a village that shuns them," Madara says. He crosses his arms. "Don't you know what happened to my daughter?"

Obito sits back, listening. Madara leans forward.

"She was pulled out of her kindergarten class because those idiot teachers at the Academy claim she was bullying the other children. But I spoke to her, and do you know what she told me? She told me they were making fun of her. That her eyes were that of demons and that as an Uchiha she should have died. Those children made my daughter cry," Madara says, and his face darkens. "I would have killed them myself if not for Hashirama."

Obito's brow furrows. "You are telling me to become Hokage...because your daughter was bullied by other school children?"

"I am telling you to become Hokage because this village does not protect the Uchiha, it treats us like second-class citizens.

"I have children, Obito. I have a little girl who loves her school but wonders why the others won't be friends with her. I have two sons who will grow up in a world that will look at them with suspicion and contempt. If there is an Uchiha Hokage, my hope is that it can mitigate that."

Obito watches as Madara plays with the glass in front of him, and realizes Madara is telling the truth. "I want to talk to my Sensei, first," Obito says. Madara scoffs.

"Oh? You mean that yellow-haired weakling you tried to kill when you first attacked this village? Fine. Go talk to your Sensei. But know if you don't accept this position, your true Sensei will be very disappointed."

"Fuck you," Obito says. Madara rises. He starts to leave, but stops by the door.

"For what it is worth," Madara says, and Obito looks up, Madara's back facing toward him, "I do regret everything that happened. We betrayed each other for no good reason."

"I want you to leave," Obito says. Madara turns the door handle.

"I will see you again when I pick up my daughter," he says, and he walks out the door.

*****

Minato is spending the day with Naruto, but he can meet with Obito in the evening. "He's going to get ramen with Iruka. Maybe we can meet for dinner?" Minato says.

The sun is starting to set. Above them, the sound of crows echoes through the otherwise empty street, and the setting light is red and orange. Obito stands at the top of the hill and sees his Sensei walking up toward him. Their eyes meet and his Sensei smiles and waves at him.

They go to a barbecue restaurant on the other side of town. Meat sizzles on the grill, and Minato turns it over with a pair of chopsticks, grilling the other side.

"So," Minato says. He adds more meat onto the grill. "What is it that you wanted to talk to me about?" Obito hesitates.

"Sensei," Obito says.

"Hm?"

"They..." the meat sizzles. "They asked me to become Hokage."

Minato's face brightens. "That's great!" Minato says, but Obito lowers his eyes. Minato asks gently, "Why are you not happy?"

"I am happy. I'm flattered I'm being acknowledged, but..." Obito's hands tighten into fists. "But I don't know that I deserve it."

Minato smiles. "You of all people deserve it," Minato says. "You've always worked so hard to be your best, and you always helped other people."

"Sensei I tried to kill your wife and child--"

"I know," Minato says. "But I believe you've worked to atone for it. I know you'd be a great Hokage," Minato says.

The door to the restaurant opens, Naruto and Kakashi walking inside. Naruto sees them and his face brightens.

"Look Kakashi-sensei! It's Obito and my dad! Let's go sit with them, dattebayo!"

Minato turns and Obito quickly wipes his eyes, which are red and swollen. Naruto and Kakashi come over.

"I take it you talked to him?" Kakashi says to Obito. Obito smiles ruefully and nods. Naruto tilts his head quizzically.

Minato beams, proudly. "Naruto. Obito just found out he was chosen to be Hokage." Naruto's eyes widen.

"Eh?! Obito-san is going to be Hokage?!" Naruto's face splits into a grin. He pumps his fist. "That's so cool, dattebayo! Obito-san is gonna be a great Hokage--wait, Obito-san?! You're crying?!"

And Obito laughs, his eyes creasing into two crescent-shaped moons, smiling and wiping his eyes.

*****

10.

It's the day of the Naming Ceremony, and Madara's daughter is excited. "They're gonna pick a new Fire Shadow!" his daughter says, and she spins around the house yelling at topmost volume, "Fire Shadow! Fire Shadow! Fire Shadow!" She runs up and down the hallway excitedly.

Hashi is supposed to take her to the ceremony, but his daughter insists Madara come with them. "My Sensei is going to be the Fire Shadow, Daddy! I want you to come see him!"

"Your Sensei is an idiot. Why must your father see him?"

"Because it's my Sensei, Daddy!"

Madara cannot think of a good argument not to come, so he loads the other two children up in a wheelbarrow and pushes them through town. His daughter cranes her neck, trying her best to look out through the crowd of gawking civilians who have gathered. Madara sighs loudly, then picks her up, putting her on his shoulders.

"Look, look Daddy!" his daughter bounces on his shoulders. "There's my Sensei! See him?"

"I do," Madara says, and his daughter laughs and kicks her feet excitedly, hitting him in the chest. Hashi bites back a laugh.

"Anata. That was a good thing you did for Obito." It's nighttime now, and Hashi turns and snuggles Madara in bed. "Everyone thinks you're so terrible but you actually have your soft spots."

"Hmph." Madara sniffs. "I had my reasons."

Hashi hugs him. "Because even after all that's happened, you're still fond of him."

"No." Madara starts to laugh. "Because I can tell that over-emotional idiot to take me off that stupid team with the Uzumaki brat and the Taijutsu idiot!"

"Eh?"

Madara's eyes glitter. "Tsunade has long refused to remove me from my keepers. Anyone she would have picked would inevitably do the same. Now that Obito is in power, he can remove me from that team and let me work alone and in peace, the way it should be!"

Hashi frowns. "So, this whole thing you did - the heart-to-heart, the grudging apology, the acknowledgement of each other's strengths and weaknesses - that was just so you wouldn't be watched by Naruto and Gai?"

"YES!" Madara laughs psychotically. "And it worked! It worked all according to plan! Everything fell into place exactly as I wanted! Uchiha Madara will no longer bear the shackles of mediocre idiots! With this I have finally exacted revenge!"

Hashi frowns at him. "You are such an idiot," Hashi says.

[another-kakashi-blog]

Reclamation

Title: Reclamation

Rating:M

Pairing: Kakairu

WC: 10k+

Summary:

Survivor’s guilt was an inevitable part of being a shinobi, they’d been taught this early on. 

They just hadn’t been taught how to deal with it, and as Kakashi got older, he was starting to realize that was because no one knew how.

Every day was a lesson in living.

Notes:

After many, many years of reading Kakashi fanfics, I’ve decided to finally give in and have a try at it myself. It was a lot of fun and a great challenge to write this. I am very excited to continue writing kakairu, kakagai, and kakayama in the future (for those of you who know me as that BNHA writer ( @fucking-zawa-sensei) don’t worry I’ll still write EM).

As with most of my fics, this is very sad, but I promise there will be happiness by the end. Hang in there. 

Below is a portion of fic, read all of it on AO3 here

Reclamation

To anyone else, they might call this silence.  

For Kakashi, the rustling of the tree leaves, the rush of wind passing by his face, the constant, endless pounding of his pulse, mimics the sound of waves crashing into breaker rocks. It’s akin to the crackle of thunder as the lightning leaves the ground, returning back to the clouds. 

It’s missions like these that make him feel alive. 

More than that, it’s missions like these that make him feel untethered, haunting, as if he’s floating above his own body, desperately out of control of his own limbs, watching them move without him, soaring from tree branch to tree branch with all his muscles pulling him back to Konoha. 

It’s missions like these that make him feel like there’s nothing holding him down, nothing keeping him here, like one wrong step would send him catapulting into the night sky’s embrace, leaving no remains for hunter nins to burn.

He’d leave no secrets behind. 

These nights bring a heavy burden, bring reminders that life is nothing but a body, too easily taken by another hand, that each breath, each moment is so easily wasted. 

Missions like these make him feel invincible, untouchable. 

Missions like these make him feel terrified.

Petrified. 

Horrified. 

Barely human. 

He’d lie down on a hundred kunai for Konoha, had certainly already taken that many at various times throughout his long life as a shinobi, but lately he was starting to feel like there had to be something else. 

Konoha wasn’t enough to bring him home on nights like this. 

The air he sucks into his lungs feels sharp, stinging with the late night chill that has already settled over his worn muscles. 

Each footfall, the bounce back of the wood beneath his sandals, manages to ground him only slightly. 

Half his mind is focused on the gates he knows he is closing in on, once a beacon, large doors that signified a job well done, a mission complete, but anymore felt like a hiatus, a small pause in a journey elsewhere. 

The other half is still lingering behind him, running through every move, every kill. His sharingan, as usual, had recorded it all, adding to an endless loop of jutsu and gore and blood. 

He tried, here and there, to supplement it with other things. 

Occasionally lifting his headband to take in the sight of the river flowing through Konoha, as he leaned against the side of the bridge, watching as dragonflies landed on the small rocks, little droplets of water falling off their feet as they rose up again, taking flight.

Even this had backfired on more than one occasion, though. 

Happy memories had soured. 

Fallen friends’ smiling faces now passed quickly in his mind’s eye, some more violently than others, replaced with their last moments, gasped out final requests, promises, and pleas for a life already lost. 

Every jounin carried a bingo book, a burden that only seemed to increase in weight with each new entry, and sometimes, even more so when the pages were torn out.

It meant different things for different shinobi, a list of people to avoid, flea on sight, or a list of targets, people to hunt down. Some ninja seemed to use it as a leaderboard, wanting to add page after page to their own entries, while challenging themselves to take down their competition. 

For Kakashi, it was a list of people coming for him, chasing him, always right behind him every hour of every day. It was a reason not to trust a single face he saw on his travels, a reason not to let anyone close. 

Everyone he knew was at risk, all fodder for a fire that sometimes felt far out of his control.

The book had never felt heavier than it did the day it had been slid across the godaime’s desk, his former pupil’s name now prominently featured. 

Team 7 had been one of the few things that disrupted the replay of death after death, but now, Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, their laughter, their pranks, their teasing, all melted away. Replaced with a Konoha headband, deep cut through the middle. Replaced with a small, broken, bloodied blond body limp in his arms as he carried it home. Replaced with a set of green eyes glazed over with tears, and then a fierce determination that Kakashi knew too well. 

He’d been there.

He’d chased those ghosts. 

He’d trained himself raw like they all were now. He’d worked himself to exhaustion, until sleep was something he fell into in more ways than one, just to get the memories to quiet for a moment. 

Except the sharingan didn’t allow that, never had, never will. 

So each step closer to the village is one more fight left behind. 

On nights like these, he feels a trail manifesting leap by leap, miles and miles of bone and muscle and blood and voices all grabbing at his ankles as he does the one thing he’d never been able to train out of him:

Run. 

The bingo book was a burden, but Kakashi sometimes felt like he had something far heftier stored beneath his skin, a catalogue of lives stolen and lost and never returned. 

Survivor’s guilt was an inevitable part of being a shinobi, they’d been taught this early on. 

They just hadn’t been taught how to deal with it, and as Kakashi got older, he was starting to realize that was because no one knew how.

Every day was a lesson in living.

In the distance, something rustles, but Kakashi’s instincts are running at full throttle and even over the post-battle haze of unwanted memories and recordings resurfaced by his childhood friend’s gift, Kakashi can easily attribute that particular kind of twig snapping to a small animal. 

Probably a field mouse, his mind supplies. 

Sometimes, being a ninja felt an awful lot like coming up for air only to find that the surface of the water has been frozen over.

The suspicion, the paranoia, it never really faded away. Kakashi could fall back into a casual, relaxed slouch all he wanted, but there was never a moment where he wasn’t keeping tabs on any movement in his limited peripheral vision. Even more so, his ears were tuned to every sound in the village, always waiting, always expecting something out of place.

Like the unsettling stillness right before the explosive release of summoning smoke that occurred all those years ago, before the blistering sound of shrill screams and the rush of adrenaline reached Kakashi. 

The better your senses were, the warier you were, the higher chance of survival.

The village needed him. 

The sole of his shoe slips just slightly on the next branch and his pulse triples as he glances back at the wood. 

He sees blood, not much, not enough to affect his footing. 

As he hits the next branch, another shock of instability jolts through his leg. He looks down at his body, taking stock, something he really should have done after the battle was over, but he’d been too caught up in ghosts to notice anything out of place. 

He was leaving a small trail of blood behind him. His skin begins to prickle and his eyes narrow at the crimson drop plummeting down from his chest, watching it fall and vanish behind him, gone before it hits the ground, as he continues to race through the forest. 

This was a genin level mistake. 

A tail of breadcrumbs that would get you killed, every time, without fail. 

Survival was imperative. 

Dying meant Konoha lost one of its best protectors. 

More than that, dying meant failure to uphold his responsibilities. 

Naruto could tell everyone he’d bring Sasuke back over and over, and all his classmates could believe him, that’s fine, they were young. 

Kakashi saw the way any lingering jounins’ mouths turned down at the edges when they overhead these words. 

These kids didn’t have the experience Kakashi did, that the other jounin and ANBU did. Their generation hadn’t lived through war, they hadn’t seen the in-fighting among the elders and clans, they only knew the destruction second-hand, as people they never got to meet and things they never got to see, lost before their time. 

They didn’t know how powerful revenge could make a person. 

Kakashi did. 

Sasuke may still be a child himself, but there was always a fierce shadow consuming the boy.

He’d never admit it, not out loud, but after their fight on the hospital rooftop, a chilling wave of reality he’d always dreaded came crashing down over Kakashi’s shoulders that night. With the village decimated by Orochimaru’s attack, he’d hardly had time to have many thoughts beyond  complete the mission, as one after another they piled up. Exhaustion was becoming the norm, both physically and mentally. Still, the alarming chirp of the his jutsu, perhaps foolishly passed down to the surviving Uchiha boy, and the unsettling swirl of chakra just centimeters from his hand as it had wrapped around Naruto’s wrist, were a constant presence in his psyche between accepted mission scrolls. 

He’d never forget it, didn’t need the sharingan to keep the memory sealed tight in his mind. 

The first night after their fight, he’d found cover in a small crevice tucked into a cliffside after completing his mission, taking a small reprieve to regain some strength before returning back to the village, still not fully recovered from Itachi’s attack. A heavy weight settled in his stomach as he accepted the inevitable.  

One day he’d have to kill Sasuke. 

That had become all the more clear after he’d abandoned the village and forsaken Konoha. 

Some part of Kakashi still wanted to believe Naruto, still wanted to see that there was another option for Sasuke, that he hadn’t been wrong to try and steer him back toward team 7, away from Itachi, away from Orochimaru, away from the false solitude of vengeance. 

Kakashi was a realist, though. 

Those fleeting hopes were hard to hold onto.

Instead, he tried to fool himself into thinking he could have the strength to do what the sandaime failed to.

Read the rest on AO3 here

[evawinget1232]

Naruto: All You need to Know About the Sentient Sword, Samehada

Naruto needs no introduction as it is widely regarded as the best anime series ever made. Most fans would claim that its immersive storytelling, character development, and animation together make it a great show. Although such generalized statements are not wrong, they often neglect little details that make the series so impressive. One such detail when it comes to Naruto is weaponry. The shinobi, in the world of Naruto, can arm themselves and they have a huge variety of weapons at their disposal. For example, Sasuke uses the electric Kusanagi while Kisame Hoshigaki wields the bizarre chakra-eating sword, Samehada.

Although the world of ninjas is full of weapons that can be surprisingly strong like Shino Aburame’s chakra beetles, what distinguishes Samehada’s weapons from others is the fact that it is sentient. It’s in a league of its own, therefore every Naruto fan must understand it better.

Samehada – Origin, Powers & True Nature

When it comes to tracing the origins of Samehada there is a lot of uncertainty. One can’t be sure if it was created in one of Orochimaru’s laboratories? Or if it was a natural entity that later morphed into a sword-like shape? Although these questions still have no definite answer one thing is known that when it entered the ninja world Mizukage owned it and later passed it down to his successor.

At some point in time, Mangetsu Hozuki got Samehada, who kept it as his collection. Later Fuguki Suizakan of the Seven Swordsmen acquired it but Kisame killed him to obtain it. Samehada stayed with Kisame for a few years. The relationship between them as master and minion lasted until the Killer Bee got possession of Samehada after killing Kisame.

The most surprising thing about Samehada is the fact that it is sentient. It can think for itself and though it might have never spoken either telepathically or with its mouth it expresses its choices and preference through its actions. Kisame has learned over time to understand what Samehada might want. Interestingly, it had a massive appetite for chakra, and even if a shinobi summoned their biju cloak, the Samehada can easily ingest it. But it can’t stand the heat of fire chakra for some reason. Once it started eating it will grow rapidly and while facing an enemy like Killer Bee it will break free off its bandages to reveal its true size.

It is quite picky when it comes to the chakras that it wants to ingest. If someone is deemed unworthy of wielding it, their hands are impaled by spikes from its handles. During intense fights, it even lets the user fuse with it. When Kisame used to do it he would often assume a shark-like form. Samehada can even hold its owner inside it. This proved to be a lifesaver when Kisame had to infiltrate the Hidden Cloud Village for intel.

Samehada’s Use

After the failed assault on the Hidden Leaf Village by Orochimaru, Samehada made its first appearance at the same time as Kisame and Itachi Uchiha. Naruto and his mentor Jiraiya were cornered in a motel by Itachi and Kisame when they were out adventuring. Naruto tried to use the Kurama’s chakra, however; he was countered by Kisame who swung his Samehada to devour it instantly. Naruto was helpless as he realized that he cannot even do tiny Jutsu. Kisame boasted about Samehada’s ability to eat any chakra and render its opponents helpless. In one of the earliest battles, Kisame had used Samehada without revealing its chakra-eating ability when he shredded Asuma Sarutobi’s arm.

The biggest challenge that Samehada faced was its fight with the Killer Bee when its true power and nature were finally revealed. Bee tried using biju cloaks with the Ox’s chakra but all of them were rendered useless by the powerful sword as it devoured it to become stronger and grow to full size. Kisame later snuck into Hidden Cloud Village inside the Samehada and fused with it to reveal the enormous powers of the Chakra. The stolen chakras can also be used by Kisame to heal mortal wounds which came as a surprise for Might Guy and other leaf village ninjas. Kisame was undefeatable when he had Samehada by his side.

After the death of Kisame, Killer Bee acquired the Samehada and use it in the Fourth Great Shinobi War. Very few ninjas were able to prove themselves worthy of carrying the Samehada and no one could use it the way Kisame did.

Eva winget is a Microsoft Office expert and has been working in the technical industry since 2006. As a technical expert, Bella has written technical blogs, manuals, white papers, and reviews for many websites.

Source: Naruto: All You need to Know About the Sentient Sword, Samehada